German police investigate possible arson at Tesla site

FILE PHOTO: The construction site of the future Tesla Gigafactory is seen in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, September 19, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German police are investigating whether a fire that broke out overnight at the construction site of Tesla's first European gigafactory had a political motive, after far-left activists claimed responsibility.

The fire at Gruenheide in the eastern state of Brandenburg early on Wednesday morning damaged several power cables leading to the Tesla site and an area of around 3 square metres, said a spokesman for the LKA state criminal investigation office.