Eco-terrorists hit Tesla, Rivian halts factory as activists cheer

Yesterday, Tesla rival Rivian announced that it’s halting plans to build a $5 billion factory in Georgia. Instead, it will manufacture its upcoming R2 and R3 models at its existing plant in Illinois, allowing it to save more than $2.25 billion in capital expenditures.

While the politicians who lured Rivian with tax incentives might be disappointed—the company pledged to create 7,500 jobs by the end of 2028—some Georgia residents living near the planned facility breathed a sigh of relief, for now at least.

Among them was JoEllen Artz, who spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Rivian’s announcement. She leads a group that opposes the EV maker’s plans, citing the potential impact on local water supplies. The site sits in a groundwater recharge area in which many residents rely on private wells. 

“Our water is more important than anybody’s electric vehicle,” Artz told the newspaper. 

According to Rivian, its plan is to delay construction of the plant, not scrap it.

“Our Georgia site remains really important to us,” Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe said yesterday. “It’s core to the scaling across all these vehicles, between R2, R3, R3X.” 

Tesla saboteurs

Meanwhile in Germany, Tesla’s first European gigafactory recently endured sabotage from activists who cited water supply as a top concern. Calling themselves the Volcano Group, they set a high-voltage power mast ablaze on Tuesday, knocking out power to the carmaker’s plant, as well as to nearby residents.

Tesla said it has shuttered production until next week and would suffer nearly $1 billion in damages. CEO Elon Musk insulted the group on X, writing: “These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they’re puppets of those who don’t have good environmental goals. Stopping…