An overnight fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome that destroyed 17 cars was an act of terrorism, the company’s billionaire owner Elon Musk said on Monday.
Italy’s special police unit Digos is leading an investigation looking into the possibility that anarchists set fire to the vehicles on the eastern outskirts of the Italian capital, a security source said.
Tesla cars have become targets for vandalism across several countries in response to Musk’s right-wing activism.
The tech tycoon, who also owns social media platform X, joined U.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration and has come out in support of far-right parties in Europe.
Commenting in a post on X that made reference to the Rome fire, Musk used the single word “terrorism”.
The fire brigade said in a statement that the blaze broke out at around 4:30 a.m. (0230 GMT).
The dealership was partially damaged, but nobody was injured.
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, also took to X to express his support for Musk.
“Too much unjustified hatred against the Tesla car company,” he posted.
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 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.
READ MORE
-
Polish E-Mobility incentive “unlikely to be exhausted”: What is the sector calling for?
The new NaszeAuto grant programme, launched last month, sets a maximum subsidy of 40,000 PLN. However, executives from PSNM warn that if category N1 is not included, the allocated fund “will be difficult to exhaust”. What is needed to keep driving the e-mobility sector forward in the country?
-
Next step eMobility: What electrification challenges must the logistics sector overcome?
The main eMobility challenge lies in the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma: which comes first, the charging infrastructure or the electric vehicles? The German logistics sector already found an answer to this question. What are the other barriers that must be overcome to achieve a successful transition?
-
València’s eMobility commitment: The charging network grows and is a single management system being evaluated?
The City Council announced that, in 2024, it has increased the number of electric vehicle charging points in the city of València tenfold. Now, all signs point to the administration having defined a new strategy for this year. What is it about?
