Left-wing group claims responsibility for Berlin Tesla factory arson

The Vulkan activist group has released a 2,500-word letter claiming responsibility for setting fire to a pylon at a factory that produces half a million electric cars a year

Left-wing extremists have claimed responsibility for an early morning arson attack on an electricity pylon at the Tesla car factory in Berlin, leading to a production halt until the end of the week, according to company officials.

In a 2,500-word letter released on Tuesday, the Vulkan (volcano) activist group took credit for the attack, criticizing the factory, which produces approximately 500,000 electric cars annually, for its consumption of natural resources and labor, labeling it as neither ecological nor sustainable.

Environmental activists have increasingly targeted electric cars, citing concerns that their production results in higher emissions than that of internal combustion engine cars, and that the production and recharging of electric car batteries pose environmental burdens. In various incidents across Europe, including in Germany, electric cars have been subject to targeted attacks, such as having their tires slashed or deflated.

The community has engaged in significant discussions regarding the company’s substantial groundwater usage in an area experiencing years-long drought. There is also concern over the extensive deforestation to make space for the factory.

Around a week ago, environmentalists set up a protest camp opposing plans to fell more trees for expansion, constructing tree houses in the forest. However, they have distanced themselves from the arson attack.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Tesla executives stated that the damages amounted to hundreds of millions of euros and would lead to production halting until the end of the week.

The power outage affected both the factory and surrounding communities in Brandenburg state. The factory had to be evacuated early on Tuesday morning.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, wrote on X: “These individuals are either the most foolish eco-terrorists on the planet or they’re being manipulated by those with misguided environmental objectives.”

He further remarked, “Stopping the production of electric vehicles instead of fossil fuel vehicles is extremely dumb,” switching to the German phrase meaning “extremely dumb.”

Brandenburg’s interior minister, Michael Stübgen, stated that judicial authorities would “severely punish” those responsible for the sabotage. He described the incident as a perfidious attack on the electricity infrastructure, which had resulted in tens of thousands of people being “cut off from basic services and put in danger.”

Tesla recently revealed intentions to expand its European operations, currently the sole Tesla site in the region. The factory, operational for two years, employs approximately 12,500 individuals, including numerous Poles and Ukrainian refugees. Despite these plans, a local referendum last month opposed the expansion, which includes establishing a kindergarten for workers’ children, enhancing roads leading to the plant, and constructing a freight depot. Although the referendum result is not legally binding, Tesla executives and mediators expressed their commitment to collaborating with the community to reach a resolution.

Following news of the fire and its potential impact on production, Tesla’s shares, listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, dropped by 2.8%.

The incident adds to a series of challenges for Tesla, including backlash from trade unions in Nordic countries seeking collective bargaining agreements for workers, as well as supply chain disruptions caused by Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. These attacks earlier in the year led to a two-week production halt.

Police have initiated a criminal investigation into the fire and are verifying the authenticity of a letter signed Água De Pau, the name of a volcanic mountain in the Azores.

In 2021, the Vulkan group claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a transmitter tower at the then Tesla factory construction site, criticizing the company for not being “ecological nor socially just.”