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Elon Musk, the CEO of the American electric car manufacturer Tesla, will visit the Tesla factory near Berlin on Wednesday, where the power supply was sabotaged last week.
The American billionaire arrived at an airport in Berlin on Wednesday morning with his private jet. At the factory, with his son on his shoulders, he addressed the employees, who treated him to applause. “I’m here to support you,” Musk said.
A week ago there was an attack on the factory’s power supply. Due to arson on a nearby high-voltage pylon, production came to a standstill for a number of days. A German far-left group, Vulkan Gruppe, claimed responsibility for the “sabotage”. Musk called the members of that group “environmental terrorists,” and emphasized that the production of electric vehicles helps protect the planet.
The Vulkan Gruppe is protesting against plans for an expansion of the Tesla factory near Berlin. The expansion has been criticized for its impact on biodiversity, on water availability and for the deforestation that would occur. In a referendum, 60 percent of local residents opposed the expansion, but that referendum is not binding.
Musk wants to expand the factory by 170 hectares to double production to 1 million electric cars per year. The Tesla factory already covers 300 hectares and employs 12,000 people.