Leftwing extremist group, Vulkan (volcano) activist group, has claimed responsibility for a dawn arson attack on an electricity pylon at the Tesla car factory in Berlin. The attack has prompted Tesla bosses to halt production until the end of the week, causing damages estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros.

In a 2,500-word letter released on Tuesday, Vulkan activist group criticized the factory's production of approximately 500,000 electric cars per year, expressing concerns about the consumption of natural resources and labor. The group argued that the factory was neither ecologically nor sustainably sound.

Environmental activists have been increasingly targeting electric cars, citing concerns over their production's potential negative impact on emissions compared to internal combustion engine cars. Additionally, activists have raised issues regarding the environmental burden associated with the production and recharging of electric car batteries.

Instances of targeted attacks on electric cars, including slashing or deflating their tires, have been reported throughout Europe, including Germany. Locally, there has been a heated debate surrounding Tesla's high usage of groundwater in a region plagued by drought. Moreover, dismay has grown over the deforestation necessary to make way for the factory premises.

Recently, a protest camp of environmentalists campaigning against further tree felling for Tesla's expansion plans had been established, with activists building treehouses in the forest. However, they were quick to distance themselves from the arson attack.

Tesla's production was severely impacted by the attack, causing an electricity outage that affected not only the factory but also surrounding communities in the state of Brandenburg. As a result, the factory had to be evacuated in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, expressed his frustration over the attack, calling the perpetrators "the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth" or puppets manipulated by those with misaligned environmental goals. He emphasized the illogical nature of targeting the production of electric vehicles instead of fossil fuel vehicles, labeling it as "extremely dumb."

Brandenburg's interior minister, Michael Stübgen, condemned the attack, promising severe punishment for those found responsible. He described the act as a perfidious attack on the electricity infrastructure, which left tens of thousands of people cut off from basic services and endangered.

Tesla had recently announced plans to expand the factory, the only one in Europe, which currently employs around 12,500 workers, including thousands of Poles and Ukrainian refugees. Despite a local referendum rejecting the expansion plan, Tesla's management and mediators have expressed their willingness to work with the community to find a suitable solution.

Following news of the arson attack and its projected effects on production, Tesla's shares on the Frankfurt stock exchange experienced a decline of 2.8%.

This incident adds to the list of challenges faced by Tesla, including trade union demands for collective bargaining agreements in Nordic countries and supply chain disruptions caused by Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea earlier this year, resulting in a two-week production halt. In 2021, Vulkan group had already claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a transmitter tower at the Tesla factory construction site, accusing the company of lacking ecological and social justice principles.