Authorities in Italy and France are investigating two fires that have damaged Tesla vehicles and charging infrastructure. The incidents, which took place over the weekend and include a fire at a store near Rome and a damaged Supercharger station in France, are being treated as possible cases of arson, though investigations are ongoing.
In Rome, a fire broke out early Monday morning at a Tesla store destroying at least 17 vehicles, according to local fire officials. No injuries were reported, and police are currently reviewing surveillance footage, including video from the Teslas themselves. Last week CEO Elon Musk said Tesla was activating Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores as a way to try and deter vandalism.
Incendio in una concessionaria Tesla a Roma, danneggiate dalle fiamme 17 auto. Si indaga sulle cause. Possibile solo.
— ℝℕ ℝ ™ ✠ (@FantomasRitorna) March 31, 2025
Se fosse partito per autocombustione avrebbero bruciato solo un gruppo di macchine e invece è bruciato pure l’altro distante una decina di metri…
Ci diranno… pic.twitter.com/nSXiJ8zMtu
In France, a separate incident occurred at a Tesla Supercharger station in Saint-Chamond, near Saint-Étienne. Twelve charging posts were affected by the fire, two of which were completely destroyed. The event coincided with what some activist groups called a “Tesla Takedown,” a global day of protests focused on the automaker. The words “Anti-Tesla campaign born to burn” were found painted on the ground near the scene.
Authorities in both Italy and France have not yet attributed responsibility for the latest fires and have made no arrests.
Tesla stores and Superchargers were the subject of protests across Europe, Canada, and the United States over the weekend. While some protests related to Tesla have been peaceful, signs advocating for burning Teslas and chants to kill Musk were also seen and heard.
NOW: “Burn a Tesla, Save Democracy” reads banner outside Manhattan Tesla Showroom during ‘Takedown Tesla’ protest in NYC pic.twitter.com/DGOOgiAD7j
— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) March 29, 2025
