Standstill at Tesla Grünheide due to Power Outage - Investigators Examine Possible Attack

A power outage has crippled the only European Tesla factory – investigators are examining clues pointing to a possible arson attack. "We have received information about a claim of responsibility, which we are currently investigating," a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The authenticity is being checked. The left-wing extremist "Volcano Group" accuses Tesla in an email of "extreme exploitation conditions" and demands the "complete destruction of the Gigafactory." After the fire of a power pylon that caused the power outage, the Brandenburg police assume arson. The State Criminal Police Office has launched an investigation.

Production at the factory of Tesla CEO Elon Musk has come to a halt following the power outage. The factory in Grünheide near Berlin has been completely evacuated, the company announced upon request. All measures to secure the production facilities have been taken. The company assumed that the power outage could not be quickly fixed. Power was temporarily out in several cities and municipalities. The supply to the surrounding communities resumed since late Tuesday morning, as the supplier Edis reported. Exceptions are the Tesla plant and a logistics center.

High-voltage pylon in focus

Unknown perpetrators set fire to a high-voltage pylon near Steinfurt, a district of Gosen-Neu Zittau, early Tuesday morning, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The police reported being informed about the fire in East Brandenburg at around 5:15 a.m. The fire brigade extinguished the fire. The power pylon stood alone in a field and was not fenced. The police were on site with, among others, a helicopter squadron, drone squadron, riot police, and service dogs. Brandenburg's State Premier Dietmar Woidke (SPD) warned of a form of terrorism.

"It appears to be a serious attack on our critical infrastructure with consequences for thousands of people as well as many small and large businesses in our country," he said. "Attacks on our critical infrastructure are a form of terrorism." The Attorney General must take over the investigation if the suspicion of a terrorist attack is confirmed.