- Local authorities found several jerry cans positioned near the flames.
- The inferno was extinguished just as it spread into the facility’s ceiling.
- Fire attacks against Tesla showrooms spiked last year but still continue.
Police investigators in Australia have confirmed that a Tesla showroom in Sydney was targeted in an arson attack earlier this week, destroying several vehicles and leaving the facility with extensive damage. It’s the kind of incident that had largely faded from headlines in recent years, yet here it is again, putting the brand back in an uncomfortable spotlight.
The blaze started around 3:20 a.m. Tuesday, and footage from outside the site captures how quickly things escalated. At first, small flames flicker beneath a pair of Model 3 sedans, while a separate fire takes hold of a red Model Y nearby. Within moments, those isolated fires begin to spread, turning a quiet showroom into something far more destructive.
Read: Dozen Teslas Torched At French Dealer Causing Over $730,000 In Damages
Before long, the blaze had spread, and at least three of the Tesla vehicles were completely engulfed in the flames. Approximately 45 firefighters were dispatched to the scene and quickly extinguished the inferno just as it began to spread into the ceiling.
Initial concerns suggested the fire may have originated in the EVs’ battery packs, but authorities quickly ruled this out after discovering several jerry cans near the burnt vehicles.
Tesla Torching
@suyogadhikari Parramatta Tesla on Fire🔥
♬ Starsurge (No Percussion) – Jan J. Hammer
“We dispatched a pretty heavy weight of attack on this fire, it did extend into the ceiling space, but we were able to quickly contain the fire to the area of origin,” Aaron Ross from Fire Rescue NSW revealed. “It is quite obvious and just taking a quick look there that these fires have started at the front of some of these vehicles.”
Fire bombings and vandalism targeting Tesla showrooms and vehicles had become worryingly frequent over the past two years, but had recently subsided. Ever since Elon Musk spent over $250 million to back and endorse President Trump’s re-election, before briefly heading up the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, attacks like these had occurred around the world.
In any case, the exact motivation behind this arson attack remains unclear and may not be determined unless authorities are able to identify those responsible.
