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The Tesla logo is seen on the Tesla factory building in Berlin, Germany, on February 22, 2024. In the Grunheide district on the southeastern outskirts of Berlin, local residents are protesting plans to expand the first American electric car factory. European manufacturer Tesla.
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a tesla A factory outside Berlin was reportedly forced to halt production on Tuesday after a suspected arsonist set a substation on fire.
The Grünheide factory, located southeast of the German capital, remained without power, as did parts of the city, Reuters reported, citing the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung. The newspaper added that a bomb disposal unit had been dispatched to the scene.
Brandenburg police told CNBC that the incident initially appeared to be arson, adding that they were currently investigating the culprit. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request from CNBC for comment.
Tesla’s Frankfurt-listed shares were down 2.4% as of 12:20 p.m. local time, while its U.S.-listed shares were down 2% in premarket trading.
According to Der Spiegel, police received a report of a burning power tower in the Gossen Neu-Zittau district at around 5:15 a.m. local time. report. It added that the Tesla factory had been evacuated.
The incident comes as Tesla’s Grünheide factory expansion plan is facing fierce opposition.
US automaker aims to double production capacity to 100 gigawatt hours Battery production and 1 million cars per year.However, last month, locals voted against The company plans to cut down nearby trees to make way for an expanded factory.
BZ newspaper linked the fire to environmental activists in nearby areas. CNBC could not independently verify this report, and local police reportedly would not comment on a possible connection.
Environmental activists began occupying forests People gathered near Tesla’s Grünheide factory last week to protest expansion plans. The occupation began late Wednesday, with demonstrators building more than a dozen treehouses in a forested area. A spokesperson for the Stop Tesla campaign group said the campout is scheduled to last a week. DW Sunday “The longer a job lasts, the better.”
In 2021, far-left activists claimed responsibility for the incident. fire The incident occurred at Tesla’s Gruenheide factory, which was under construction at the time.