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 user dead inside the truck and seven others injured. The driver of the Cybertruck died from a gunshot wound before the vehicle exploded, the government said.
Newsweek reached out to Musk Tesla’s communications team on Thursday evening.
The Cybertruck explosion sparked debates about Tesla’s protection standards, which Musk vehemently defended while criticizing indications that the explosion was due to a malfunction.
This news adds to a tricky start to the year for Tesla as the Cybertruck, unveiled to great fanfare in late 2023, has struggled to meet the expectations of major investors.
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 showed that assessment, the Tesla CEO said on X that he would “maybe” sue the media over the initials 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 data was positive at the time of the explosion,” he wrote.
Tesla’s CEO especially defended the Cybertruck on Thursday, writing in “Even the glass lobby doors 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 explosion, directing it upward, which limited the damage to surrounding structures,” McMahill said.
“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 deserves to sue the media outlets that framed the story in this way. These headlines are sabotaging the @Tesla logo by making other people think it was left in the fire,” Starbuck wrote. “There is approximately 1 Tesla chimney for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 for every 18 million miles. “
Starbuck included a screenshot of a headline detailing the incident.
Musk responded: “Maybe it’s time to do it. »
Ana Bruce, a witness, told The Associated Press: “The first time we saw the chimney, the second one, I guess, the battery or something, and the third the big chimney smoking the whole domain and the moment everyone was ordered 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 used to rent the Cybertruck, said in a statement shared with Newsweek: “It is with a heavy hub that we verified that Wednesday’s horrific attack in New Orleans and the explosion of the Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas were involved. rented vehicles in Turó.
Las Vegas police said they were still investigating the fire and explosion. Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI’s acting special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office, also showed that the FBI is involved in the investigation.
On Thursday, the FBI reported that a search was conducted at a Colorado Springs apartment in connection with the Cybertruck explosion.
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Jesus is a reporter for Newsweek Live News founded in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, he focuses on news and trends. He has covered global politics, migration, pop culture, and sports. Jesus joined Newsweek’s U. S. bureau in 2024. In the past he worked for the Financial Times and was a foreign journalist and editor of the newsletter El Espectador in Colombia. She graduated with a master’s degree in journalism and virtual innovation from New York University. Languages: English, Spanish. You can attach with Jesus by emailing j. mosquera@newsweek. com