Tesla can produce vehicles at its Gigafactory near Berlin again after a production halt followed by a power sabotage a week ago. The company has been taking measures to restart the plant after it was reconnected to the electrical grid on Monday evening.
A high-voltage tower near the factory was set on fire on March 5, damaging the power supply of Tesla's plant and surrounding neighborhoods. The EV maker was forced to suspend production after the incident.
According to Reuters, local energy supplier Edis has worked three shifts in the past few days to resume power at the Tesla site. On the evening of March 11, Andre Thierig, Tesla's plant manager, said on LinkedIn that the power supply to the Gigafactory had been restored.
He said the measures to restart the plant were in full swing. While it will take some time before the plant fully resumes production, Thierig said the most important step has been taken.
A far-left group, Vulkangruppe, has claimed responsibility for the arson attack. The Electrive reported that Germany's criminal prosecution authority, including the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, have investigated the incident.
Tesla's Gigafactory near Berlin employs around 12,500 staff. According to Reuters, the suspension caused Tesla to lose production of about 1,000 EVs per day and millions of euros in damages.
At the same time, protestors against Tesla's expansion at the Gigafactory continue to camp in the forest where the company aims to build new facilities. In February, citizens in the neighborhood voted down the expansion plan.
