Elon Musk: Cybertruck Explosion ‘Unrelated to Vehicle Itself,’ Signals Possible Lawsuit

Key Takeaways

• A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in fatalities and injuries.
• Elon Musk is considering legal action against media outlets that misrepresented the incident.
• Musk confirmed the explosion had nothing to do with the vehicle itself.

Elon Musk is considering legal action against media outlets that he believes misrepresented a recent incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas.

The incident, which resulted in fatalities and injuries, has sparked intense scrutiny  and fueled ongoing tensions between Musk’s companies and the media.

Officials have confirmed the explosion wasn’t caused by a vehicle fault.

Cybertruck Explosion Unrelated To Vehicle

Elon Musk has confirmed that the explosion involving a Cybertruck was not caused by the vehicle itself but by a bomb carried by the terrorist inside the car.

In a post on X , the Tesla CEO stated:

“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.”

When a user inquired about how this was verified, Musk clarified , “Tesla vehicles transmit their state of health continuously.”

Movie director Robby Starbuck, who recommended that Musk sue the media for their misleading headlines on the incident, remarked: 

“Hard to see as an accident with the timing of it and the optics of it. Crazy odds something like that happens at all let alone the day of an ISIS attack if it’s just an accident.”

Official Confirm Musk’s Version

While the incident is still treated as a possible terrorist attack, no motive has been confirmed. However, officials confirmed  there were gasoline cannisters and large fireworks mortars in the back of the truck.

“I don’t know how they were ignited,” the sheriff McMahill said. “We haven’t been able to process the vehicle yet.”

The vehicle was rented from Turo, which is cooperating with the investigation. Authorities have confirmed that the Tesla Cybetruck was rented in Colorado, but no links to ISIS or other terrorist groups have been found.

The explosion happened an hour after the Tesla arrived in Las Vegas.

“The Best Tesla Ad” Cartoon

Elon Musk shared a cartoon framing the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion  on New Year’s Day as proof of the vehicle’s durability.

The cartoon shows a masked person inside the Cybertruck with explosives, shouting “Death to America!” before detonating the vehicle.

The next frame shows Musk pointing to the smoking truck and joking, “Best Tesla ad!”

In the frame, Despite the explosion, the Cybertruck remains intact.

Musk emphasized the vehicle’s resilience, noting the explosion was directed upwards, causing minimal damage to nearby structures. He criticized media outlets for misleading reports and celebrated the Cybertruck’s performance during the incident.

Musk May Sue Media Outlets

Elon Musk is considering  taking legal action against media outlets that misrepresented the recent incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck near a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

Movie director Robby Starbuck said the way these news organizations framed the story is damaging to Tesla’s image.

Starbuck posted  :

“Honestly, Elon Musk 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. There’s about 1 Tesla fire for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 every 18 million miles.”

Musk responded by retweeting Starbuck’s post with a brief comment. “Maybe it is time to do so,” indicating his agreement with the sentiment.

This incident highlights the ongoing tension between Musk’s companies and media portrayal , especially when it comes to Tesla’s public perception.

Musk has previously criticized the media for focusing on negative or sensational stories  that don’t accurately reflect the brand’s achievements or the safety of its vehicles.