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Beginning in early 2025, there has been an increased number of incidents of vandalism targetingTesla property, including vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations. The incidents have been part of a larger wave ofprotests against Elon Musk, Tesla's owner and a key figure of theDepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The majority of incidents have occurred in the United States, and have also been reported in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
TheFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Attorney GeneralPam Bondi have labeled the vandalism asdomestic terrorism and PresidentDonald Trump suggested the perpetrators be sent to prison inEl Salvador. Although Musk has suggested that the vandalism is funded and coordinated, the FBI andBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said they could not find any evidence that attacks have been coordinated.
A woman was arrested for spray-painting a Tesla dealership inBuffalo Grove, Illinois.[1] A Tesla owner inWichita, Kansas, reported a man keying her vehicle outside a restaurant.[2] SeveralCybertrucks were set on fire at a dealership inKansas City, Missouri.[3] InBloomington, Minnesota, a woman was filmed keying a Tesla in a parking lot. Authorities decided not to move forward with criminal charges after the woman turned herself in and agreed to pay for damages.[4] A Tesla was also keyed inWest Fargo, North Dakota, and a suspect was arrested.[5]
In west Michigan, a Cybertruck owner reported someone spray-painted "FUCK OFF NAZI" on the side of his vehicle in early March.[6] InKentwood, five Cybertrucks were vandalized on March 10, with one having the words "Nazis always lose" spray-painted on the side.[7]
Several Tesla chargers were set on fire outside a shopping center inLittleton, Massachusetts, on March 3.[8] In aDedham dealership, twoCybertrucks were spray-painted, and a Model S had all of its tires punctured. The same dealership had been targeted by vandalism on February 26.[9] InBrookline, a man was arrested for allegedly placing Elon Musk-related stickers on Teslas.[10]
A Tesla owner inSyracuse, New York, reported an unidentified person wrote "This car supports Nazis" on his car while he was in a theater.[11] On March 6, two men inNew York City spray-painted swastikas on a Cybertruck inLower Manhattan. TheNew York City Police Department said they were investigating the vandalism as a hate crime.[12]
In Pennsylvania on March 23, a Tesla Cybertruck was vandalized while parked outside a restaurant inNewtown Township, Bucks County by an apparent juvenile who dragged something along the side of it, leaving a mark.[13]
A Tesla dealership inOwings Mills, Maryland, was spray-painted on March 2, the day after a protest was held outside the same dealership.[14] InWashington, D.C., police said they were looking for a man and woman who had graffitied at least two Teslas with unspecified "political hate speech".[15] The word "NAZI" was found etched on the side of a Tesla inGarner, North Carolina.[16] Police inTulsa, Oklahoma reported that a masked individual spray-painted the word "NAZI" on the side of a Cybertruck.[17]
InNorth Charleston, South Carolina, federal authorities charged a man with arson after he allegedly set Tesla chargers on fire with Molotov cocktails. The suspect is also accused of spray-painting "Fuck Trump, long live Ukraine" next to the chargers.[18] On March 24,Austin Police Department responded to calls of suspicious devices found in the local Tesla showroom, the Austin Bomb Squad determined the devices to beincendiary devices .[19][20] On March 25, a man inTexarkana, Texas was arrested and charged with a felony for vandalizing several Teslas. Video from one of the cars appeared to show the suspect driving a mini four-wheeler into the side of a Tesla parked outside a restaurant.[21]
On March 29, a woman inAventura, Florida was arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief for sticking a wad of gum to the door handle of a Tesla, an event which the vehicle's owner characterized as a result of "unfortunately, a divide in our country where certain views that are not accepted by a subset".[22]
On March 22, a man inBerkeley, California, was arrested for firing a stun gun at protesters. No injuries were reported. The suspect, who demonstrators said had attempted to disrupt several earlier protests, was grabbed by protesters before officers arrested him.[23] On April 6, a man slashed the tire of a Tesla parked outside a grocery store inClovis.[24]
InSan Jose, California, police arrested a man who was seen on video keying a Tesla.[25] A dealership and several vehicles inEncinitas were spray-painted with swastikas.[26] InVista, a person reportedly broke the side-view mirror of a Tesla parked in a driveway.[27] InBerkeley, a person was filmed spray-painting a Tesla in aWhole Foods Market parking lot.[28] On March 29, a Cybertruck parked outside a home inNovato was vandalized, with a suspect slitting the tires and throwing a rock at the windshield.[29]
One person was arrested after a molotov cocktail was thrown at a Tesla dealership inLoveland, Colorado, on March 7. A second person had been charged with vandalizing the same dealership earlier in the month, though a police said the incidents appeared to be unrelated.[30] Police inColorado Springs said they had responded to two reports of Tesla vehicles being vandalized in 2025.[31]
Sometime on the night of April 2 and 3, 16 Cybertrucks and a dealership were spray-painted inMeridian, Idaho.[32]
In Nevada, multiple Teslas were set on fire at a dealership inEnterprise. TheFederal Bureau of Investigation said they were investigating.[33] A 36-year-oldLas Vegas resident was arrested and charged with federal offenses.[34]
InSalem, Oregon, a Tesla vehicle was set on fire in a dealership parking lot in January.[35] The following month, several gunshots were fired at the windows of the same dealership.[36] A suspect was arrested and faces federal charges.[37] A dealership inTigard was also damaged by gunfire in March. A security guard was present, but they were not injured.[38] InPortland, a person spray-painted the word "Nazi" on a Tesla.[39] InEugene, the words "Divest" and "Depose" were spray-painted on two Tesla vehicles.[40] In Washington, four Cybertrucks were damaged by a fire inSeattle.[41] inPortland, Oregon, a man was arrested for trying to blind Tesla employees with a laser pointer.[42]
On March 22, four Tesla chargers inRock Springs, Wyoming, were spray-painted with Swastikas.[43]
InVancouver, police arrested a man suspected of vandalizing a Tesla dealership multiple times between January 1 and March 21, spray-painting obscenities on the building.[44] InMontreal, police arrested two members of an activist group who sprayed paint on a dealership.[45]
On March 17, aTesla Model S was set on fire in the parking lot ofMasonville Place inLondon, Ontario. No injuries were reported.[46] March 18, a Tesla car was burned in southeast Calgary. March 19th, a Tesla cybertruck was burned in Calgary.[47] On March 20, 80 Teslas were damaged at a dealership inHamilton, Ontario, with cars having deep scratches and tires punctured.[48]
February 13 and March 31 Tesla vehicles were vandalized in Victoria, Canada. In Vancouver, there have been 28 acts of vandalism against Teslas, charging stations or car dealerships since January (as of April 1).[49] On April 3 a pregnant woman was injured after a rock was thrown at her Tesla.[50]
Around a dozen Teslas were set on fire outside a dealership inToulouse on February 23. Eight cars were destroyed and another four were damaged.[51]
Several Tesla Superchargers were set on fire inSaint-Chamond. The police said two chargers were completely destroyed, while the others were damaged.[52]
A dozen burnings of Teslas have happened from September, 2024 to April, 2025 inDeux-Sévres.[53]
Seven Teslas were destroyed after catching on fire outside a dealership inOttersberg, Germany around 3:30 a.m. on March 29, a worldwide day of action announced by theTesla Takedown movement.[54] Seventeen Tesla vehicles were damaged in a fire at a store inRome.[52]
In New Zealand, several Tesla cars were spray painted inAuckland.[55][56] Members ofJust Stop Oil poured an orange liquid latex over a Tesla robot at a store inLondon.[57]
In aTruth Social post, President Trump suggested people who vandalized Teslas should be sent to prisons inEl Salvador,[58] the same country where the United States had recentlysent hundreds of migrants.[59] Trump also claimed, without evidence, that "people that are very highly political on the left" were paying the vandals.[60]
Attorney GeneralPam Bondi described Tesla vandalism as "nothing short of domestic terrorism" and vowed to "impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."[61]
Elon Musk said those vandalizing cars should "stop being psycho" and called Tesla a "peaceful company".[62] He said he believed there was a "mental illness thing going on," and suggested that the perpetrators were being led by a "larger force" who were funding and coordinating the violence.[63] He also referred to the acts as "trans violence" and claimed that "the probability of a trans person being violent appears to be vastly higher".[64]
Law enforcement and domestic terrorism experts have found no evidence that the attacks are coordinated.[60]
On March 24, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation task force. The director of the FBI,Kash Patel, has called the attacks "domestic terrorism".[65]Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations agreed with the classification of terrorism by saying "It's absolutely domestic terrorism. Vandalism is a crime that if it's committed with a political motive, can certainly be defined as terrorism."[66]
After increasing losses due to an increase in vandalism,insurance companies have suggested their rates could rise to insure Tesla vehicles. Compared to the average rise in cost of 10% to insure US vehicles, theModel Y has risen 29% and theModel 3 has rose 24% from 2024 to 2025. The average cost to insure Model Y and 3 rose 300$ and 101$ respectively from January to March, 2025.[67]
In March 2025, the Vancouver International Auto Show removed Tesla from its line-up due to safety concerns.[68]
The April 5, 2025 episode ofSaturday Night Live (SNL) referenced the increase in vandalism in its cold open. In the cold open,Mike Myers, playing Musk, says the reason no one likes Teslas is because of Musk, before playing a video that introduces an electric car that vandalizes itself. The real Musk responded to the sketch by saying that SNL "hasn't been funny in a long time".[69]
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