Elon Musk reacts as 17 Tesla vehicles destroyed in Rome arson attack

UPDATED: Apr 1, 2025 00:00 IST

In an ongoing wave of vandalism targeting Elon Musk's Tesla outside the US, 17 vehicles were destroyed in a fire that broke out overnight at a Tesla dealership in Rome.

Italy's special police unit, Digos, is leading an investigation into the fire. The officials are exploring the possibility that anarchists were behind the attack, which occurred on the eastern outskirts of the capital.

Commenting in a post on X that made reference to the Rome fire, Musk used the single word "terrorism."

Tesla cars have increasingly become targets of vandalism across several countries in response to Musk's right-wing activism. The attacks on Tesla have grown more frequent since Musk joined US President Donald Trump's administration and came out in support of far-right parties in Europe. European sales of Tesla vehicles tumbled 49% in the first two months of the year even as overall sales of EVs grew.

Drone images of the fire showed the burnt-out remains of cars lined up in a parking lot, with two rows of vehicles back-to-back and a third row some distance away. The fire brigade said in a statement that the blaze broke out at around 4.30am local time. The dealership was partially damaged, but nobody was injured, reports Reuters.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also took to X to express his support for Musk. "Too much unjustified hatred against the Tesla car company. "The season of hate and conflict must come to an end as soon as possible. My solidarity goes out to Elon Musk and to all the workers who have been threatened and attacked," Salvini said.

According to reports, two Tesla stores and some cars were also vandalised in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, and the coastal city, Malmo, on Monday. Tesla currently operates 438 global stores and an additional 100 service centres. In the US, there are 276 Tesla dealerships.

On Saturday, protesters sought to intensify their campaign against Tesla dealerships and vehicles, opposing Elon Musk's role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With the majority of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune tied to Tesla stock, the demonstration marked the first coordinated attempt to encircle all Tesla showrooms and service centres across the US.