Seven Tesla charging stations had been deliberately set on hearth on Monday at a shopping mall exterior Boston, the police mentioned, the newest in a sequence of assaults towards the electrical car firm since its proprietor, Elon Musk, constructed a deep partnership with President Trump.
The charging stations had been set on hearth round 1:10 a.m. at a shopping mall in Littleton, Mass., about 30 miles exterior of Boston, in response to a news release from the Littleton Police Division.
The police mentioned they informed the Littleton Electrical Gentle & Water Division to close down the ability to the charging stations as “heavy, darkish smoke” engulfed a number of of them. Earlier than the electrical firm might reply, one other charging station caught hearth.
There have been 12 charging stations on the web site, in response to a Tesla map.
Tesla didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday.
Tesla showrooms and dealerships throughout the nation have been focused with protests and vandalism since Mr. Trump turned president and selected Mr. Musk to accelerate his agenda.
The protests have mirrored to Mr. Musk and his current political strikes, together with his radical takeover of the federal bureaucracy and his efforts to chop federal jobs.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors charged a Colorado resident with malicious destruction of property, accusing her of spray portray the phrase “Nazi” onto the facet of a Tesla dealership and planting an incendiary system close to a car, in response to a news release from the U.S. legal professional in Colorado.
Some car house owners at the moment are selling their Teslas to distance themselves from the billionaire chief government.
Nonetheless, Teslas are by far the most well-liked electrical automobiles in america, and a few automotive house owners have mentioned on Fb teams that they’ve purchased one to point out their assist for Mr. Musk.