‘Knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle’: Elon Musk defends Tesla Cybertruck after explosion outside Trump hotel
The driver of the Cybertruck was killed and seven others nearby were injured when a combination of fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel in the bed of the vehicle were detonated by a device controlled by the driver, police said.
- Jan 2, 2025,
- Updated Jan 2, 2025 9:16 PM IST
Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that the ‘evil knuckleheads’ chose the wrong vehicle while commenting on the explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Musk said that the electric vehicle’s design minimised the blast’s impact, sparing the hotel from significant damage.
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” Musk wrote on X.
The driver of the Cybertruck was killed and seven others nearby were injured when a combination of fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel in the bed of the vehicle were detonated by a device controlled by the driver, police said.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill praised the build quality of the vehicle during a press conference. “The fact that this was a Cybertruck, really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out,” McMahill said. “In fact, if you look on that video, you’ll see that the front glass doors at the Trump hotel were not even broken by the blast.”
The FBI is investigating whether the explosion is tied to terrorism.
Musk’s post came in response to a flurry of reactions on social media, which applauded the robust build quality of the vehicle.
“A bomb went off in the Cybertruck's bed and the tires didn't pop/deflate, the exterior of the truck is intact, the bed door is still attached & the 1.4mm-1.8mm steel exterior (2x thicker vs normal trucks) helped contain the blast. Its the toughest & most badass truck ever made!” wrote a user, which was reposted by Musk.
The Tesla CEO also took on legacy media for spreading ‘false claims’ about the Cybertruck blast. Highlighting a post that said “Media headlines are misleading audiences, suggesting the Cybertruck caught fire or exploded due to a malfunction. The truth is that explosives were placed in the back and intentionally detonated,” Musk wrote “You don’t hate the legacy media enough.”
“Honestly @elonmusk 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,” wrote another, to which Musk replied “Maybe it is time to do so”.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that the ‘evil knuckleheads’ chose the wrong vehicle while commenting on the explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Musk said that the electric vehicle’s design minimised the blast’s impact, sparing the hotel from significant damage.
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” Musk wrote on X.
The driver of the Cybertruck was killed and seven others nearby were injured when a combination of fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel in the bed of the vehicle were detonated by a device controlled by the driver, police said.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill praised the build quality of the vehicle during a press conference. “The fact that this was a Cybertruck, really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out,” McMahill said. “In fact, if you look on that video, you’ll see that the front glass doors at the Trump hotel were not even broken by the blast.”
The FBI is investigating whether the explosion is tied to terrorism.
Musk’s post came in response to a flurry of reactions on social media, which applauded the robust build quality of the vehicle.
“A bomb went off in the Cybertruck's bed and the tires didn't pop/deflate, the exterior of the truck is intact, the bed door is still attached & the 1.4mm-1.8mm steel exterior (2x thicker vs normal trucks) helped contain the blast. Its the toughest & most badass truck ever made!” wrote a user, which was reposted by Musk.
The Tesla CEO also took on legacy media for spreading ‘false claims’ about the Cybertruck blast. Highlighting a post that said “Media headlines are misleading audiences, suggesting the Cybertruck caught fire or exploded due to a malfunction. The truth is that explosives were placed in the back and intentionally detonated,” Musk wrote “You don’t hate the legacy media enough.”
“Honestly @elonmusk 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,” wrote another, to which Musk replied “Maybe it is time to do so”.