Tesla vehicles across the United States are increasingly becoming targets of vandalism, with incidents ranging from swastikas spray-painted on car bodies to outright arson, reflecting a growing wave of hostility toward the company’s CEO, Elon Musk. The attacks, which have escalated in recent weeks, highlight a striking irony: many of the same progressive voices that once championed electric vehicles (EVs) as a cornerstone of environmental policy are now linked to their destruction, fueled by anger over Musk’s political influence and controversial actions.

One of the most alarming incidents occurred in Las Vegas in the early hours of Tuesday, when multiple Tesla vehicles were set ablaze on a city street. According to local police, an individual was observed igniting the cars before fleeing the scene. Security footage captured the fiery destruction, with flames engulfing at least three Teslas, leaving behind charred husks. The Las Vegas Fire Department reported damages in the tens of thousands of dollars, and no arrests have been made as of yet.

Elsewhere, Tesla vehicles and facilities have been defaced with swastikas, a symbol of hate that protesters are using to equate Musk with fascism. In Lynnwood, Washington, last week, six Tesla Cybertrucks at a service station were vandalized with red spray paint, including swastikas and expletives like “[Expletive] Elon.” The Lynnwood Police Department is treating the case as a potential hate crime, given the targeted nature of the graffiti. Similarly, in Meyers, California, near Lake Tahoe, Tesla chargers were daubed with swastikas a day earlier, prompting an investigation by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department. In Ithaca, New York, superchargers were tagged with “Hail Hitler” and “Tesla is Fascist” alongside swastikas, according to local reports.

Attorney General Pam Bondi: “If you’re gonna touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out ’cause we’re coming after you and if you are funding this, we’re coming after you.”

The vandalism extends beyond symbolic defacement. In Littleton, Massachusetts, seven Tesla charging stations were torched earlier this month, with police suspecting arson. In Salem, Oregon, a Tesla dealership faced two separate attacks: one in January involving Molotov cocktails that caused $500,000 in damage, and another in February when a man fired bullets from an AR-style rifle into the storefront. The suspect, now facing federal weapons charges, is believed to have acted out of anti-Musk fervor.

This surge in violence and vandalism coincides with Musk’s high-profile role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump, a position that has drawn ire for his efforts to slash federal spending and regulations. His controversial gesture at Trump’s inauguration—intentionally misinterpreted by critics as a Nazi salute—has further inflamed tensions. Protesters have taken to the streets, with demonstrations outside Tesla dealerships in cities like Seattle, New York, and Pasadena, some escalating into disorderly conduct and arrests.

The irony of this backlash is not lost on observers. For years, leftist policymakers and environmental advocates pushed for EV mandates, hailing Tesla as a leader in sustainable transportation. California, for instance, once celebrated Tesla as a homegrown success story, with mandates requiring zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Now, the same ideological camp appears to be turning on the company, with acts of destruction replacing earlier praise.

Tesla has responded by bolstering security measures, including thicker supercharger cables and ink packs designed to deter vandals. Musk himself has condemned the attacks, writing on X, “Damaging the property of others, aka vandalism, is not free speech!” The company has also vowed to press charges against perpetrators targeting its superchargers.

As investigations continue, the vandalism wave poses a challenge for Tesla’s public image and bottom line. Sales have reportedly faltered globally, with a 76% drop in Germany in February compared to the previous year, and a 35% stock decline since Trump’s inauguration.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)