Elon Musk suggested he might take legal action against news outlets following reports about the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.
The incident left one person inside the truck dead and seven others injured. The driver of the Cybertruck died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the vehicle exploded, authorities said.
Newsweek reached out to Musk through Tesla’s communications team on Thursday evening.
Why It Matters
The Cybertruck explosion sparked debates about Tesla’s safety standards, which Musk vehemently defended while criticizing suggestions that the explosion was caused by a malfunction.
The news adds to a challenging start to the year for Tesla, as the Cybertruck, launched with much fanfare in late 2023, has struggled to meet investors’ high expectations.
What To Know
Musk took to X to defend the Cybertruck amid a flurry of news reports about the explosion, saying that its sturdy design likely contained what could have been a much larger explosion.
After law enforcement officials confirmed that assessment, the Tesla CEO said on X that “maybe” he would sue news outlets over their initial coverage of the incident.
Musk first commented on the explosion shortly after it happened, writing on X: “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.”
Around 80 minutes later, he followed up in a second post: “We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” he wrote.
The Tesla CEO further defended the Cybertruck on Thursday, writing on X, “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the explosion was caused by external factors, including camp fuel canisters and firework mortars stored in the truck’s bed.
“The vehicle largely contained the blast, directing it upwards, which limited damage to surrounding structures,” McMahill said.
This image provided by Alcides Antunes shows a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Musk has signaled potential legal action against news outlets following reports…
This image provided by Alcides Antunes shows a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Musk has signaled potential legal action against news outlets following reports about the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Alcides Antunes via AP
“The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside the valet because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out,” McMahill said.
The sheriff’s comments sparked widespread coverage, prompting Musk and his followers to criticize some media reports about the truck’s explosion.
One user on X, Robby Starbuck, wrote that Musk should weigh taking legal action against outlets he accused of misrepresenting the event.
“Honestly @elonmusk should consider suing outlets who framed the story like this. These headlines are sabotaging @Tesla’s brand by making people think it caught on fire,” Starbuck wrote. “There’s about 1 Tesla fire for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 every 18 million miles.”
Starbuck’s post included a screenshot of a headline detailing the incident.
Musk replied, “Maybe it is time to do so.”
What People Are Saying
Ana Bruce, witness, told The Associated Press: “The first one where we saw the fire, the second one, I guess, was the battery or something like that, and the third was the big one that smoked the entire area and was the moment when everyone was told to evacuate and stay away.”
Daniel Ives, a financial analyst at Wedbush Securities, said in a report: “We have never viewed Tesla simply as a car company … Instead, we have always viewed Musk and Tesla as a leading disruptive technology global player.”
Turo, the car-rental app that was used to rent the Cybertruck, said in a statement shared with Newsweek: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Wednesday’s horrific attack in New Orleans and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas both involved vehicles rented on Turo.”
What’s Next
The Las Vegas Police Department said it is still investigating the fire and explosion. Jeremy Schwartz, the acting FBI special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office, also confirmed that the FBI is involved in the investigation.
On Thursday, the FBI confirmed that a search was carried out at a residence in Colorado Springs in connection to the Cybertruck explosion.
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Elon Musk May Sue Over Tesla Coverage After Cybertruck Explosion
