Vandalism on TSLAs continue, as cars are set on fire, leading to soaring insurance premiums of 30%+ - how will this impact sales?
Discussion is centered around how these actions will impact the company's business model and stock's upcoming quarter's sales, including key metrics such as EV/sales and EBIDTA.
Attacks and vandalism on Tesla vehicles and dealerships seem to continue today as a Las Vegas Tesla dealership had multiple cars lit on fire with molotov cocktails and shot at. A list of recent vandalism actions against Tesla cars I could find.
* **March 18**: Molotov cocktails used to set Tesla cars on fire, and a gun was used to put bullet holes in a Las Vegas dealership's Tesla cars.
* **March 18**: Tesla set on fire in the parking lot of a mall in London, Ontario, Canada
* **March 17**: Two teslas set on fire in Naimoo, Canada
* **March 14**: Tesla set on fire in Seattle, with three other Teslas set on fire that same week in Washington state
* **March 14**: Multiple Teslas set on fire in Germany
* **March 6**: Six Tesla chargers set on fire in Boston
* **March 4**: Twelve Teslas set on fire in France
Other incidents not as frequently reported by news outlet include spray painting, keying, egging, shattering windows, throwing dog poop, and leaving notes encouraging owners to sell or lease swap their Tesla's for other EVs
This has lead to a few things including
* Insurance rates have soared for Tesla owners, increasing up to **30% more** than this time last year.
* The insurance cost on a new Tesla Model 3 in the US is more than the lease cost of a brand new 2025 Nissan Sentra.
* The insurance on a base Tesla Model 3 is now **25% more expensive than a base Mercedes Benz**
* Tesla owners have begun taking off the Tesla logo and attaching other car logos to disguise their car, including the logo of Toyota, Audi, and Mazda
* Tesla investor and wealth manager has spoken out and called for Elon Musk to step down, stating his affiliation is damaging the stock and brand
Curious what folks think. At this point even if Elon Musk distances himself from Tesla, would consumer sentiment shift? Would EV owners who don't care about Elon Musk's actions still avoid the brand due to fears of having their property vandalized?
How will this impact the company's future sales? Which metrics such as EV/sales will suffer the most?
Sources
[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teslas-set-fire-molotov-cocktails-shot-las-vegas-attack-rcna196942](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teslas-set-fire-molotov-cocktails-shot-las-vegas-attack-rcna196942)
[https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/local-news/tesla-superchargers-destroyed-by-fire-in-nanaimo-7886999](https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/local-news/tesla-superchargers-destroyed-by-fire-in-nanaimo-7886999)
[https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/tesla-set-on-fire-at-mall-in-london-ontario/](https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/tesla-set-on-fire-at-mall-in-london-ontario/)
[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tesla-charging-stations-torched-apparent-arson-boston-latest-attack-el-rcna194692](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tesla-charging-stations-torched-apparent-arson-boston-latest-attack-el-rcna194692)
[https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250303-dozen-teslas-torched-outside-french-dealership-authorities](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250303-dozen-teslas-torched-outside-french-dealership-authorities)
[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/15/vandalized-tesla-elon-musk-trump](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/15/vandalized-tesla-elon-musk-trump)
[https://insideevs.com/news/753730/tesla-insurance-vandalism-elon-musk/](https://insideevs.com/news/753730/tesla-insurance-vandalism-elon-musk/)
[https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/tesla-elon-musk-embarassed-disguise-car-1235294522/](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/tesla-elon-musk-embarassed-disguise-car-1235294522/)
[https://news.sky.com/story/tesla-investor-calls-for-elon-musk-to-step-down-as-boss-13331499](https://news.sky.com/story/tesla-investor-calls-for-elon-musk-to-step-down-as-boss-13331499)
