A major update by local utility authorities is a good outlook for Tesla's (TSLA) German operations following its extended work stoppage.
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As per a report by Reuters, the electricity at Tesla's Berlin–Brandenburg Gigafactory in Grünheide could be restored as soon as late Mar. 11. Previously, the automaker anticipated power would not be restored until Mar. 17, however the local power company is anticipating power resumption to come sooner.
In a statement, local utility company E.DIS said that the resumption of power is dependent on a high-voltage test, as well as official approval by engineers, which are expected to take place on March 11.
Brandenburg economy minister Joerg Steinbach said that E.DIS employees have been working multiple shifts around the clock to fix and restore power as quickly as they can.
"It now looks like it won't take until the end of the week, but that the power supply can be restored sooner," Steinbach told public broadcaster RBB, translated from German.
Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory is currently experiencing an extensive power outage, which was triggered by a deliberate arson attack by a far-left fringe group. Since the attack, Tesla's factory was left at a standstill and in a situation where it expects a monetary loss in the "high hundreds of millions of Euros."
When the line was stopped, more than 1,000 cars were left in various states of assembly, but the EV automaker says that it will take some time to get the line up and running again.
"As soon as [power restoration] has happened, we will gradually start up the systems. It is not yet possible to say how long it will take until production can be fully resumed," Tesla said in a statement to Reuters.
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Tesla German expansion targeted by protesters
The update comes at the heels at a massive protest that took place near the Grünheide factory on Mar. 10 involving hundreds of environmental activists who are against Tesla's expansion of the plant. At the same time, local residents and plant workers staged a counter demonstration showing support for the American EV automaker.
"We're here to show the region, our employees, all of Germany, and hopefully the entire world how Tesla employees stand united after this attack," Tesla Plant Works Council Head Michaela Schmitz told France24 during a rally outside the shuttered factory.
Tesla defended its presence and expansion of its factory in a post on X on March 6, stating that "The Truth" about its Berlin Gigafactory was that it was providing the region with jobs and skills-based training, while claiming to use less water than the rest of the industry and recycling its wastewater.
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