Work at Tesla’s only European plant has been paused following a fire at a nearby electrical pylon cut power to the facility. German police say they are investigating the blaze as an arson case, and environmentalists calling themselves “The Volcano Group” have taken credit for the incident.
In a letter published under a pseudonym on Kontrapolis, the group said it had “sabotaged” Tesla because the company “eats up earth, resources, people, labor, and spits out 6,000 SUVs, killing machines, and monster trucks per week,” it claimed, as translated by Google.
On X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the people behind the incident “either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they’re puppets of those who don’t have good environmental goals.” He described the fire as “extremely dumb.”
Read: Activists Thwart Tesla’s German Gigafactory Expansion Plans With Tree Houses
Although police in the area are treating the incident as arson, local authorities have warned against jumping to conclusions about possible perpetrators, per Reuters. The fire comes as Tesla faces criticism from people who live near the plant, as well as environmentalist groups, for a proposed expansion to its facility.
The automaker wants to double production at the plant to 1 million vehicles per year, which would require it to cut down a significant amount of the surrounding forest, raising concerns about the safety of local drinking water supplies. The company needs the Gruenheide municipal government’s approval to do so, but the majority of locals oppose the expansion.
The situation gained international attention after environmental activists decided to set up tree forts in the forest, in a bid to prevent Tesla from razing it and to support the people who live in the area. And the protesters received support from locals.
Manuela Hoyer, a representative of the Gruenheide Citizens’ Initiative, told Der Spiegel that despite rumors that a tent was found near the site of the fire, she does not believe that the activists camping out in the forest could have been behind the attack.
“Our exchange with the forest occupiers is extremely good, many from Gruenheide go there regularly,” said Hoyer. “This is a great peaceful action.”
She criticized the fire at the electrical pylon as being counterproductive. She argued that an attack against Tesla would play into the company’s hands, and might prompt the state government to take a tougher stance against any protests critical of the automaker.
Indeed, Michael Stuebgen, the Brandenburg state Interior Minister, told media that if the fire was an attack, it “will have consequences,” and that the state will react with the “utmost severity,” because it cut off basic services to “thousands of people.”
