Tesla Berlin Gigafactory restarts after arson attack by activists

Tesla has reopened its Berlin Gigafactory after a group of activists set fire to an electricity pylon servicing the factory and nearby towns.

After the week-long outage, production should gradually be ramped up to restore the factory to full production capacity.

This was achieved earlier than expected after repairs to the damaged pylon were accelerated. Tesla hadn't expected to reopen the facility until the end of the week.

Alexander Montebaur, MD of German energy firm E.DIS, said on social media: "After a weekend of intensive work around the clock and numerous crucial repairs - on what is now probably the most famous construction site in Germany - extensive high-voltage measurements lasting several hours took place today in Steinfurt."

It's unknown how much the closure cost Tesla, but reports suggest it could amount to a nine-figure sum. All of the facility's 12,500 workers were evacuated and didn't return to work until now.

The factory was forced to stop production after a group of activists set fire to an electricity pylon servicing the factory and nearby towns.