Police believe the blaze at a high-voltage power pylon had been deliberately set, amid turmoil over the automaker’s plans to expand its assembly plant near Berlin.
A local town’s vote against the U.S. automaker’s proposed expansion is nonbinding, but citizens expect it to be honored.
The U.S. automaker’s plan to enlarge its operations outside Berlin has divided local residents. Some worry about the environmental costs; others see job prospects.
Workers seeking a collective agreement from the automaker say they are pushing for their rights, but car owners see them as taking the fight too far.
The action began with a mechanics walkout in October, but has spread to include blockades by other unions. Tesla has pushed back through the courts.
The electric carmaker sued the agency to deliver license plates for its cars, the latest escalation as a labor fight enters its second month.
The automaker’s mechanics in Sweden are striking for a collective agreement, and dockworkers say they will support the battle. Tesla is expected to join the talks on Monday.
China, an electric-vehicle juggernaut, will have at least seven brands on display, while Germany’s automakers are now a drag on their home economy.
The German automaker lowered its outlook for deliveries and announced changes to its China strategy as it struggles to regain ground lost to other automakers.
The electric automaker wants to produce a million cars a year at its plant near Berlin, a step that would make it Europe’s largest car factory.