During a press conference, Dori Koren, the assistant sheriff with the Las Vegas metropolitan police department, said, “Upon arrival, officers discovered several vehicles on fire, as well as the word ‘resist’ spraypainted on the front doors of the business.”
“At least five Tesla vehicles were damaged, including at least two of which were engulfed in flames,” Koren added, as reported by The Guardian.According to a special agent with the FBI’s joint terrorism task force, Spencer Evans, the Tesla fires were initially examined for arson but are now being investigated for potential terrorism.
“Was this terrorism, was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think – you know, the writing on the wall, the potential political agenda, there’s an act of violence. So, none of those factors are lost on us,” Evans said.
The FBI is investigating at least three other incidences of Molotov cocktails being hurled at Tesla facilities since January, including one in Kansas City, Missouri, that occurred on the same night as the alleged arson in Nevada.
Elon Musk, the CEO of the electric vehicle maker, called the Las Vegas Tesla fires an act of ‘terrorism’ in an X post.
Terrorism https://t.co/Jthfv6gEsq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025
In another post, he wrote, “This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong. Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong.
Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks. https://t.co/Fh1rcfsJPh— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025
Meanwhile, a website called ‘Dogequest’ reportedly has published the personal information of Tesla owners nationwide in an apparent bid to shame and intimidate them as Elon Musk’s ties with the Trump White House have grown, New York Post reported.
The site reportedly reveals the names, addresses and phone numbers of Tesla owners throughout the US using an interactive map — and uses an image of a Molotov cocktail as a cursor.
The site’s operators, who also posted the exact locations of Tesla dealerships, said that they would remove identifying information about Tesla drivers only if they provide proof that they sold their electric vehicles, according to 404 Media.
Last week, President Donald Trump, during a press conference, said that he would designate the violence against Tesla facilities as domestic terrorism. “I’m going to put a stop to it. Because they’re harming a great American company,” he added.
Earlier, a man was arrested in New York City for defacing a cybertruck by painting the Swastika symbol. The incident piqued the interest of Musk, who reacted by taking a potshot at the Japanese automaker, stating, “Crazy people. Naturally, he drives a Subaru.”
Crazy people. Naturally, he drives a Subaru …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
Demonstrations were also held outside Tesla showrooms on Saturday, amid growing criticism of Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The protests were part of the ‘Tesla Takedown’ movement, a boycott launched on February 15 against Musk’s electric vehicle company. The campaign was initiated by actor Alex Winter and professor Joan Donovan.
As a part of ongoing protests around the country since the Tesla CEO became a significant figure in Trump’s administration, gunshots were fired at a Tesla showroom in Oregon on Thursday, a second such incident in a week.
The electric carmaker has also been removed from participating in this week’s Vancouver International Auto Show due to safety issues.
In a statement, the event’s executive director, Eric Nicholl, said that the show asked Tesla to withdraw due to a ‘primary concern’ for the safety of staff, attendees and exhibitors.
Nicholl added that the carmaker was provided “multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw.” “This decision will ensure all attendees can be solely focused on enjoying the many positive elements of the event,” read the statement.
Also, electric carmaker sales have been falling globally, particularly in Europe. As per the data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tesla vehicle registrations in the European Union and numerous other European countries fell by approximately 45% between January 2024 and 2025, according to NPR.
According to Electrek, sales in Germany are down a startling 70% year on year through February. China accounts for more than a third of the company’s global sales and leads the world in overall electric and hybrid vehicle sales, yet Tesla’s sales there fell by 11.5% in January, as per Inside EVs. Tesla registrations in California, the largest EV market in the United States, fell approximately 12% between 2023 and 2024, although overall EV sales increased.
