While Elon Musk tries to considerably reduce the federal workforce and immerse himself in the corridors of American power, the electric car manufacturer of Tesla technology was criticized – literally.
There have been at least 10 acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealers or accusation terminals in recent weeks, according to the police and local reports, stressing that the Musk has been confronted since he assumed an unprecedented role in the federal government.
On January 29, a 40 -year -old woman launched a Molotov cocktail in a cybertruck parked at a dealership in Loveland, Colorado, according to the police.
The woman, Lucy Grace Nelson, would have returned to the dealer four more times in recent weeks to cause other damage. She launched more Molotov cocktails, tried to put the fiery dealer and painted the words “Nazi cars” on the building, before being finally arrested last week, the Loveland police announced. Musk was accused of Support anti -Semitic allegations And Insulting the victims of Nazism.
About 2,000 miles to the east, more than half a dozen Tesla charging stations were intentionally burned down Boston, police announced on Monday.
And on the west coast in Tigard, Oregon, police announced Thursday that at least seven shots were fired on a Tesla dealership there that morning, damaging three cars and breaking the windows.
No injury has been reported in any of the incidents. A lawyer from Nelson could not be joined to comment and a vocal messaging for the office of the Federal Public Defender of Colorado said that she does not comment on waiting.
Tesla did not immediately return a comment request. In response to a video showing a man vandalizing Teslas, published by Maryland authorities, Musk replied: “Employing the property of others, alias vandalism, is not freedom of expression!”
Before the Tesla dealer’s attacks, Loveland police chief Tim Doran said that he did not remember a single community of the community – about 45 miles north of the state capital, Denver – also attracted repeated acts of violence.
He said that his department had no indication that vandalism in the Colorado concessionaire is linked to acts of vandalism elsewhere.
“It is absolutely not the way to make a statement,” said Doran in an interview. “Putting people’s lives in danger is never the way of doing it.”
In January, President Donald Trump hit Musk to lead the Government Department (DOGE).
DOGE – Previously known as US Digital Service – has reduced federal labor and government programs at an unprecedented rate in recent weeks. As civil servants were suddenly licensed en masse, in person GOP City Hall have become heated, with many voters who are unleashed in the legislators on the cuts.
The appointment of musk to the agency and its designation as “Special government employeeยป – Who goes around the most expensive verification requirements for full -time government employees – has raised concerns about Potential conflicts of interest. Musk, the richest man in the world, Helms X, SpaceX, Brain Computer Implant Company Neuralink and Ai Company Xai, in addition to Tesla.
Tesla dealership attacks also coincide with a drop in sales for the electric car manufacturer. Recent data show increasing growth in electric battery vehicles in Europe, but new Tesla vehicle registrations in Europe are down 45% on Year for JanuaryAnd also in China.
Musk’s foray into politics also seems to have struck his personal fortune. From mid-December, the net value of Tech Titan dropped more than $ 100 billion, Or around 25%, fueled by a sale of Tesla shares. Tesla’s shares have been down more than 30% on Saturday since the start of the year.
Michael Morris, professor at the Columbia Business School who is the author of “Tribal”, a book on cultural divisions, said that he predicts that the cultural return will ultimately oblige Musk to resign from Doge if his businesses continue to suffer.
“It would be a tragedy for the world if Elon Musk’s good job in Tesla and her good work in SpaceX, and his good work in her solar society were derailed by the cultural return against his somewhat amateur attempts to reform the government,” said Morris.
The disturbances of Tesla’s installations do not seem to slow down.
Friday, the same Colorado Tesla dealer was again burnt down, according to the police. Police said in a statement that the new case does not seem to be linked to Nelson, but suggested that she was inspired a copier. Nelson was accused of using explosives or incendiary devices during a crime, a criminal mischief and a criminal attempt to commit a class 3 crime, and is in prison for a personal recognition guarantee.
And on Saturday in New York, police arrested nine demonstrators who demonstrated in a Tesla exhibition hall, according to a spokesperson for the New York police department.