A tragic explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck occurred on Wednesday in front of the Trump Las Vegas hotel, resulting in one fatality and seven injuries.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has released preliminary information about the incident through a series of posts on X.
Initial Response from Tesla
Musk immediately announced that Tesla’s senior leadership team launched an investigation into the incident.
In his first communication, he emphasized the unprecedented nature of the event, stating,
“The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. Will post more information as soon as we learn anything. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Tesla’s Investigation Findings
Tesla’s investigation found that the explosion came from explosive materials (either fireworks or a bomb) stored in the Cybertruck’s cargo bed, not from vehicle malfunction.
Musk confirmed that all vehicle telemetry data showed normal operations at the time of the incident.
The vehicle involved was identified as a rental unit obtained through the Turo platform.
Potential Terrorism Connection
Law enforcement officials are treating the incident as a suspected act of terrorism.
Musk highlighted a potential link between the incident and a prior suicide bombing involving a rented Ford F-150 in New Orleans.
MSNBC reports that three senior U.S. law enforcement officials are investigating the explosion as a potential terrorist act, with evidence indicating it was intentional.
BREAKING: The Cybertruck explosion at Trump Tower in Las Vegas was “intentional” according to law enforcement and is being investigated as a “potential act of terrorism”
— America (@america) January 1, 2025
Elon Musk has also confirmed the explosions were caused by large fireworks or bombs, not the vehicle itself pic.twitter.com/v1EzP6gBcL
Vehicle Monitoring Details
Musk highlighted that Tesla vehicles continuously transmit health data, confirming that the vehicle was functioning normally before the explosion.
This monitoring system provided crucial information for the initial investigation.
This incident continues to be under active investigation by both Tesla and law enforcement agencies.
The location, circumstances, and possible link to another vehicle-based attack have heightened the investigation’s seriousness.