Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured during a visit at the company’s electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on March 13, 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage.
Sebastian Gollnow | Getty Images
Elon Musk on Wednesday visited the Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin, which was forced to halt production last week after losing power during a suspected arson attack.
Pictures show Musk waving to workers as he arrived at the factory in the German state Brandenburg and addressing them on stage in a tent where employees gathered to meet him.
Local media also reported that Musk told the crowd, “I love you,” in German, but that his further comments were drowned out by a factory vehicle parking in front of journalists and blasting music.
Tesla workers stand outside as they wait for the arrival of Tesla head Elon Musk outside the Tesla Gigafactory near Gruenheide, Germany, on March 13, 2024.
Maja Hitij | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Musk is expected to meet regional politicians during his visit to Germany, local media said, citing state government sources. CNBC could not independently verify the reports.
Last week, the Gigafactory was left without power and had to temporarily stop production after a suspected arson attack on an electric substation close by. Tesla said the incident was aimed at the company, in a statement on social media platform X.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives at the Tesla plant in Gruenheide, Germany, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Left-wing extremist group Vulkangruppe claimed responsibility for the attack in a letter posted online, criticizing Tesla’s environmental competencies. Regional authorities are still investigating the case.
The Brandenburg factory is slated for expansion, but the project has met significant resistance from locals and environmental groups, as it would mean the destruction of forests in the area. Activists have set up camp near the factory in protest.
The plant was able to rejoin the power grid earlier this week. Production resumed at the Gigafactory on Wednesday, Michaela Schmitz, chair of the works council at the plant, told local radio channel rbb24, according to a CNBC translation.
Employees received their full salaries during the production outage, she added.
A banner with the words “Elon” and “Eloff” hangs in the camp of the “Stop Tesla” initiative in a pine forest near Fangschleuse near the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg plant.
Sebastian Gollnow | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
Tesla Manufacturing on Wednesday shared a video of the inside of a factory on social media platform X, with the caption, “We are back.” The post was shared by Musk, who also thanked the team at the Gigafactory.
“Thanks to the hard work of the Tesla Giga Berlin team and support from the community, the factory is back online!” he said.
