Properties carrying the Tesla logo have come under violent attacks across the US and overseas. While no injuries have been reported so far, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have become targets.
The significant spike in the attacks is noticeable following US President Donald Trump taking office and him empowering Tesla CEO Elon Musk to oversee a new department, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), that is assigned to slashing government spending.
According to experts on domestic extremism, it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.
Notably, in Trump's first term, his properties in New York City, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest, while in his second term, Tesla is bearing the brunt.
Musk critics have organised dozens of peaceful demonstrations at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners, including a US senator who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.
A number of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.
Four Cybertrucks were set on fire in a Tesla lot in Seattle earlier this month. In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service centre where the word “resist” was also painted in red across the building's front doors.
Trump gave a boost to the company when he turned the White House driveway into an electric vehicle showroom. The president promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an USD 80,000 Model S, eschewing his fierce past criticism of electric vehicles.
The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of the administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to “domestic terror,” and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.
(With inputs from AP)
