Fire destroyed ten Tesla Model Ys and damaged other five in Frankfurt, Germany. An anonymous group posted a letter online to claim responsibility for the incident.
The Frankfurt fire department received a call at around 03:20 AM on Tuesday from someone who reported a fire that started in the Waechtersbacher Street, in the parking lot of a car dealer. Flames had engulfed several cars before firefighters arrived at the scene. Five fire engines battled the flames for over an hour. Local authotirities decided to close the railway line located nearby for about 30 minutes to avoid hazard.
The fire was extinguished at around 04:30 AM, but the site remained under the observation of firefighters for several hours. There was a risk that the battery cells in the electric Tesla Model Ys that caught fire might reignite. But no such incidents were reported.
The authorities estimate that the fire caused damages worth around half a million euros, which translates into around $537,000. An investigation is currently underway and the police is trying to determine the cause of the fire in the parking lot of the car dealership.
But the course of the investigation might not be as complicated as authorities first thought. And that is because the fire seems to have been an act of social resistance from an anonymous group. On Tuesday, a letter entitled 'Teslas flambe' (which is French for 'Burned Teslas') was posted on the Indymedia platform. The author(s) of the letter claimed responsibility for the fire and tagged Tesla as one of the group’s "most prominent enemies."
"This time, as resistance, we attacked a parking lot with Teslas for sale. Private Teslas are often affected everywhere or the construction of factories like in Berlin-Grünheide is sabotaged," the group wrote on the platform, revealing intentions to destroy the electric car manufacturer both economically and politically. Tesla is currently the world's best-selling electric car manufacturer, with the Chinese giant BYD ranking second.
The group blames the car industry for the extreme weather and climate change. They also mention the IAA Mobility auto show that took place in Munich and refer to it as an event where “all kinds of corporations were able to show off their great, shiny cars at this summer trade fair and congratulate themselves on their economic success in their air-conditioned conference rooms.”
That happens, according to the group, while the lives of many are being destroyed because of the fires in Portugal and Maui, as well as because of the floods that have been taking place in Slovenia and Austria.
The group also accuses Tesla of "green lies" and indicates anti-Tesla claims such as resources exploitation, pointing out that key materials such as cobalt and lithium, necessary for the battery packs, "are mined under terrible conditions in Latin America and Africa."
The same group took responsibility for deflating the tires of 51 Porsche cars parked in Berlin as an act of insurgence, according to Teslamag.de.
Debunking myths about burning BEVs:
On Tuesday night, 10 Tesla vehicles, among others, burst into flames in Frankfurt, Germany.
According to the fire department, the fire broke out at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday night in the parking lot of a car dealer in the Frankfurt district of… pic.twitter.com/XqM5wdaiYm
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