Electric car manufacturer Tesla's factory near Berlin has had its power restored after a nearly one-week outage believed to have been caused by arson, according to grid operator E.DIS. The factory, Tesla's first in Europe, was reconnected to the network at 8:45 p.m. on Monday after days of repairs. Initially, it seemed that the factory might remain without power until the end of the week.
Production at Tesla's plant in Gruenheide, just outside the German capital, came to a standstill last Tuesday, affecting tens of thousands of residents, nearby hospitals, nursing homes, and a logistics center for a German grocery chain.
Authorities in the state of Brandenburg suspect that someone deliberately set fire to a high-voltage transmission line on an electricity pylon. A far-left organization known as the Volcano Group claimed responsibility for the fire, citing concerns over what they described as 'extreme exploitation conditions' at the Tesla factory and calling for its 'complete destruction.'
The German federal prosecutor's office has taken over the investigation, indicating an initial suspicion that a terrorist organization may have been involved in the attack. Tesla's factory in Gruenheide was opened in March 2022, marking the company's challenge to German automakers on their home turf.
The power outage occurred amidst ongoing environmental protests in a forest near the plant against plans to expand the facility.
