subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now
Workers of Tesla's plant near Berlin light up their phones as a man holds a lit flare in front of the so-called Gigafactory. Picture: CHRISTIAN MANG
Workers of Tesla's plant near Berlin light up their phones as a man holds a lit flare in front of the so-called Gigafactory. Picture: CHRISTIAN MANG

Gruenheide, Germany — Tesla’s German plant near Berlin would resume operations this week after a power outage stopped production, the head of its works council said on Friday.

The Tesla electric vehicle (EV) factory closed on March 5 after a fire at a nearby power pylon, which police are investigating as an arson attack.

German police said they believed a letter from a far-left organisation called the Volcano Group claiming responsibility for the fire was authentic. 

“We will restart the factory next week,” Michaela Schmitz told a gathering of several hundred workers at the electric vehicle (EV) production site, known as a Gigafactory.

Some were holding a banner saying “We won’t be shut down!”

“Alongside many chapters of outstanding achievements, this attack will go down as a dark chapter in our history. But also that will not stop us,” said Schmitz.

The attack left the site’s 12,500 employees in limbo and meant the US EV maker could not produce about 6,000 vehicles a week, resulting in losses expected to total at least several hundred million euro.

Some locals and activists have for years criticised the environmental impact of Tesla’s plant in Gruenheide.

Schmitz said that Tesla employees would receive information about the restart soon, but gave no detail on timing.

“Colleagues have been condemned to sit at home, instead of contributing successfully together to the energy transition,” said Schmitz.

Germany’s federal prosecutors office said on Friday it had taken over the investigation, looking into charges of terrorism and sabotage.

Reuters

subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.