Tesla Is on Fire, but Not in a Good Way

Thousands of Protesters Fighting Against Elon Musk

Photo by Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0

Recently, Tesla has been facing a large amount of dangerous backlash. Starting from Feb. 7  in states like Colorado, Oregon and South Carolina, hundreds of protests called “Tesla Takedown” have erupted. Not only is this happening in the United States but also in Canada and Europe. Activists have worked up their opposition to CEO Elon Musk’s efforts to destroy federal government staffing and budgets. Ever since Musk joined the Trump administration, he has violently pushed policies to reduce spending, curb regulations and downsize the workforce as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Whilst doing this, he has also misled the public about federal spending multiple times.

The protesters are actively trying to grow their movement targeting dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role. With Musk being the head of the newly created position, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), he has gained access to sensitive data and closed entire agencies as he tries to end government spending. The largest portion of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company, which he has continued to run while also working alongside Trump. 

In Canada, around 80 Tesla vehicles at a car dealership were damaged. In Hamilton, Ontario, police were called to a dealership on Wentworth Street with reports of damage to a Tesla that had been parked outside. The vehicle was found with deep scratches, punctured tires and other damage. Almost identical events have happened across several U.S. states in recent weeks. General Pam Bondi announced charges against three “violent Tesla arsonists” Bondi then proceeded to make reference to “domestic terrorism” but none of the culprits were charged with domestic terrorism, which is not a specific federal crime.

“The days of committing crimes without consequences have ended,” Bondi said. “Let this be a warning; if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars. ”

One person arrested in Charleston, S.C., said to have written “profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations” before using Molotov cocktails to light the stations on fire, the news release said. Another person brought to trial for being armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle and throwing eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Ore., the Justice Department said in a news release. Two more people, one in Loveland, Colo. and the other in Las Vegas, Nev. were caught trying to ignite Tesla vehicles and a Tesla Collision Center. The person in Las Vegas was armed with a gun and damaged at least five vehicles, two of which were engulfed in flames.

“People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes funders. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!” Trump posted on X.

Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO and advisor to President Donald Trump, put out a statement on X on March 20 stating that Tesla has ramped up security and activated Sentry Mode on vehicles at stores which is an intelligent vehicle security system that uses the car’s cameras and sensors to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings when parked and locked also alerting the owner of potential threats.