The car manufacturer Tesla has to interrupt a large part of its vehicle production at the Grünheide plant in Brandenburg for two weeks. The reason for this was the lack of components due to shifts in transport routes due to the armed conflict in the Red Sea, the electric car manufacturer told the Reuters news agency on Thursday evening. “The armed conflicts in the Red Sea and the associated shifts in transport routes between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope also affect production in Grünheide. The significantly longer transport times create a gap in the supply chains.”
Tesla was therefore forced to suspend vehicle production in the “Gigafactory” Berlin-Brandenburg between January 29th and February 11th, with the exception of a few areas. Production should resume fully from February 12th.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, who have declared their solidarity with the radical Islamist Hamas, have repeatedly attacked ships with alleged Israeli connections in the Red Sea. Only freighters delivering aid to the Gaza Strip would be granted passage. The Houthi militia also repeatedly attacks Israel directly with drones and rockets. Since the attacks, several major shipping companies have avoided the route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
The Red Sea is considered one of the most important shipping routes for world trade because it connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.
Tesla is the first company to announce a production gap due to the conflict. However, several companies – including the Chinese car manufacturer Geely and the furniture store Ikea – have warned of delays in deliveries.