Officials are still searching for the suspects after the fires damaged multiple vehicles
- Four Teslas burned out in Berlin as suspected arson attacks continue to escalate.
- Police found several other vehicles damaged in addition to the burned EVs.
Police in Germany were called to a vehicle fire around 1:40 a.m. Friday, initially thinking it would be just another run-of-the-mill incident. Little did they know, the night would turn into a full-fledged pursuit of multiple, similar fires. By the time the flames were out, four Teslas had been completely torched, leaving authorities scrambling to find the perpetrators.
The incidents all happened in Plänterwald and Steglitz, two Berlin suburbs. After responding to the first call, police received another one about 30 minutes later, reporting yet another fire, roughly a 30-minute drive from the first location. Authorities confirmed that all the affected Teslas were burned to the ground and were no longer drivable.
Read: Tesla Dealership Hit By Gunfire For The Second Time
Local authorities are no longer leading the investigation. According to Tagesschau, the State Security Service has taken over and is now handling the case. While no injuries have been reported, officials confirmed that at least five other vehicles, aside from the Teslas, sustained damage from the fires.
This marks at least the third suspected arson targeting Teslas in Germany. According to Rbb24, similar attacks occurred in early February, when two cars and several charging stations were set on fire. Then, on March 5, someone torched a power pole supplying electricity to a Tesla factory, shutting the plant down for several days.
Let’s not forget that just over a month ago, one of the very first protests against Elon Musk in the wake of his questionable hand gesture was in Berlin at Tesla’s Gigafactory. In that case, two political groups took responsibility and called for boycotts on Tesla products.
Tesla’s Sales Hit a Steep Decline in Germany
While these acts of arson don’t appear to be directly related to the political protests seen earlier in Berlin, they might share some of the same underlying sentiment. In late 2024, two political groups took responsibility for organizing protests against Elon Musk, calling for boycotts of Tesla products. These protests could have contributed to a staggering 70.6% drop in Tesla sales in Germany, according to data from the nation’s transport authority, compared to January and February of the previous year.