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
-
From Spain to Mexico, the US and Turkey: How EVcharge is expanding its white-label software for CPOs worldwide
EVcharge is fast-tracking its international presence with a value proposition based on flexibility, scalability and regulatory compliance. As the Spanish eMobility tech company consolidates its global expansion, Juanma Pérez Thompson, Business Unit Manager, shares exclusive insights with Mobility Portal Europe.
-
De España a México, EE. UU. y Turquía: así EVcharge lleva su software white-label a los CPOs del mundo
EVCharge acelera su presencia internacional con una propuesta de valor enfocada en flexibilidad, escalabilidad y cumplimiento normativo. Así, la tecnología eMobility española consolida su expansión global y Juanma Pérez Thompson, Business Unit Manager de la firma, adelanta las clave para este proceso.
-
Poland Accelerates Charging Infrastructure Expansion with 50% Year-on-Year Growth
Poland is expanding its charging network with a notable increase in May 2025. However, two provinces stand out in terms of charger concentration, while none of the remaining 14 has more than 500 installations. How does this progress align with the AFIR targets?
