Elon Musk paid a visit to Tesla’s Gigafactory outside Berlin on Wednesday, which was forced to suspend work last week after losing electricity during a suspected arson attack.
Pictures show Musk waving to workers as he arrived at the factory in Brandenburg, Germany, and addressing them on stage in a tent where employees had gathered to welcome him.
Local media also stated that Musk told the crowd in German, “I love you,” but that his subsequent remarks were drowned out by a factory truck parked in front of journalists and blasting music.
Musk is likely to meet with regional lawmakers during his visit to Germany, according to local media and state government sources. CNBC could not independently verify the reports.
Last week, the Gigafactory lost power and had to briefly halt production due to a suspected arson attempt on a nearby electric substation. Tesla says the incident was intended against the corporation, in a statement on social media site X.
Vulkangruppe, a left-wing extremist group, claimed responsibility for the attack in an online letter denouncing Tesla’s environmental credentials. Regional authorities are currently probing the situation.
The Brandenburg factory is set to expand, but the idea has faced strong opposition from locals and environmental groups, who fear it would result in the destruction of nearby forests. Activists have set a camp near the business to protest.
The facility was able to reconnect to the power grid earlier this week. Production resumed at the Gigafactory on Wednesday, according to Michaela Schmitz, chair of the plant’s works council, who spoke with local radio channel rbb24.
Employees were paid in full during the production interruption, she continued.
On Wednesday, Tesla Manufacturing posted a video of the inside of a facility on social media site X, captioned “We are back.” The message was shared by Musk, who also congratulated the crew at the Gigafactory.
“Thanks to the hard work of the Tesla Giga Berlin team and support from the community, the factory is back online!” remarked Mr. Musk.
