Elon Musk condemns firebombing of Las Vegas Tesla dealership
Elon Musk has publicly condemned the firebombing of a Tesla dealership as violence towards the billionaire’s interests intensifies.
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The wild backlash against Elon Musk in the US has continued to escalate, with multiple Tesla vehicles set alight and fired upon at a dealership in Las Vegas.
A man used molotov cocktails and a gun to damage the vehicles early Tuesday morning local time.
The attack follows weeks of growing unrest and plummeting consumer sentiment as Tesla owner Musk continues to make sweeping job cuts in the US public service as part of his role to clean up government spending for the Trump administration.
Police confirmed the man who attacked the Las Vegas dealership at Tesla Collision Center was still on the loose following the firebombing.
At least five Teslas were damaged, including two which were engulfed in flames.
Local media reported the word “resist” was also painted on the door of the dealership.
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“This was a targeted attack against a Tesla facility,” Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren told local media following the incident.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is also investigating the attack and hasn’t ruled out categorising the incident as an act of terrorism.
Musk himself condemned the attack with a post on his social media platform, X.
“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” Musk said.
“Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
The Las Vegas attack follows revelations just days ago that Tesla’s share price had plummeted 15 per cent to its lowest point since October 2024.
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The stock is now down approximately 45 per cent since its all-time high of $1.5 trillion in December – meaning the automaker’s market value has dropped nearly $US800 billion ($1275bn).
Musk looked on the verge of tears during a recent interview in which he was asked how he was managing his other businesses as well as his government role within the Trump Administration.
“With great difficulty … I’m just here, trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud and so far we are making good progress.,” Musk said on Fox Business.
The billionaire’s business issues have been compounded by attacks like Las Vegas as well as global protests against the Tesla brand.
Dubbed the “Tesla Takedown” movement, scores of former Tesla enthusiasts have organised demonstrations at dealerships across the United States and Europe, urging others to sell their stock and vehicles.
Viral social media videos show customers smashing their Teslas with sledgehammers or setting them on fire.
A protest earlier this month in Lisbon, Portugal turned violent as demonstrators stormed a Tesla showroom, smashing windows and setting banners alight.
Beyond the drop in shares, Musk’s behaviour and political input, Tesla is facing disappointing sales figures.
Australian sales for the brand are well behind the same point last year.
In China, sales plummeted by 49 per cent, with Chinese rival Build Your Dreams (BYD) surging past Tesla with record-breaking sales.
And just this week, new figures revealed Tesla sales had slumped 76 per cent in Germany – Europe’s biggest economy and the world’s third largest.
Telsa’s troubles in Germany come after Musk controversially threw his support behind anti-Establishment political party AfD in the country’s February 23 elections.
Several analysts are forecasting flat or declining vehicle deliveries in 2025.
The highly-anticipated Cybertruck has failed to deliver the expected profits and competition in the electric vehicle (EV) market is rising at a rapid rate.
As Tesla’s stock dwindles, Musk’s personal fortune is also shrinking at an alarming rate.
His net worth has dropped from $141.50 billion this year, including a staggering $20 billion loss on Monday alone.
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