Tesla will temporarily stop production at the German Gigafactory: here’s why – Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA)

Activist groups in Germany target electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Inc. TSLA as it works to expand its Giga Berlin factory.

What happened: The Austin, Texas-based automaker faces upcoming protests at Giga Berlin and is taking preventative measures, including a four-day shutdown, according to German business newspaper Handelsblatt.

The closure follows protests announced over several days against Tesla.

As a result, Tesla employees are being asked to work from home. An email sent to employees Monday shared the company’s decision, according to the report.

Automotive production employees will see Friday as a transition day. Production ends with the night shift on Wednesday and will resume with the night shift on Sunday.

“No access to the site or factory is possible without the explicit instructions and approval of your manager,” read an email obtained by Handelsblatt.

Tesla also said that no buses or trains would run to the gigafactory in Germany from Thursday to Sunday.

The company said the move was “a corresponding recommendation from the responsible authorities.”

Related Link: Tesla Q1 Earnings Highlights: Electric Vehicle Giant Misses Wall Street Estimates, Cuts Costs, Invests in AI and Accelerates New Model Launches

Why it’s important: Tesla influencers dispute accuracy of four-day closing report.

Tesla Delivery Vehicle Tracker Troy Teslike said this Thursday is a public holiday in Germany (Ascension Day) and the factory is usually open Monday to Friday.

“This production pause is only for one day (Friday),” Teslike said. “This will not affect deliveries as Model Y inventories in Europe are at an all-time high due to limited demand.”

Tesla Influencer Sawyer Merritt called a Reuters article cited the four-day work break as misleading.

“This title is a bit misleading. Giga Berlin usually produces cars Monday through Friday. This Thursday is a public holiday, so in reality it’s just a down day,” Merritt tweeted.

News of work pause and work-from-home orders comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for being an outspoken critic of employees working from home.

The CEO called working from home “morally wrong” and made it mandatory for Tesla and social media platform X that employees work in the office except in limited scenarios.

Although the work stoppage may only last a day due to the holiday, it is worth monitoring that an arson attack has led to the temporary closure of the factory in Germany.

Protesters are expected to gather in front of the factory on Friday. The objective is to raise awareness of the clearing of a forest area by Tesla in the event of an expansion of the factory. Expansion has been curbed and the protest could draw more attention to concerns raised against Tesla’s drive for growth.

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