On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, claiming the suspect’s life and injuring seven others.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was quick to clarify that the explosion was unrelated to the design or functionality of the Cybertruck.
“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,” Musk wrote.
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. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are leading the investigation, which is being treated as a potential act of terrorism.
Preliminary findings suggest that the vehicle was carrying a combination of fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel in its bed.
A controlled detonation system, reportedly operated by the driver, triggered the blast.
The vehicle had been rented through the Turo app, the same platform used to rent a pickup truck involved in a deadly attack in New Orleans earlier that day.
“Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way,” Musk wrote.
Appears likely to be an act of terrorism.
Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way. https://t.co/MM6ehJO3SG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
Despite the devastating blast, the Cybertruck’s unique design appeared to limit the damage at the Trump International Hotel.
Incredibly, despite the force of the explosion, the Cybertruck’s exterior remained largely intact, directing much of the blast upwards and sparing the Trump International Hotel from catastrophic damage.
Video footage captured the moment of the blast, showing the Cybertruck absorbing the impact and preventing significant harm to surrounding structures.
The Tesla Cybertruck features a 3mm-thick stainless steel exoskeleton, which provides a degree of bullet resistance. Tests have demonstrated that the Cybertruck’s body panels can withstand impacts from certain firearms, such as 9mm and .45 ACP caliber bullets, without penetration.
Regarding bomb resistance, there was no evidence to suggest that the Cybertruck is designed to withstand explosive devices until the Las Vegas explosion incident.
Also, Cybertruck is known for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised) feature that allows the vehicle to drive itself in certain situations.
Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press conference, “But I also would like you to pay attention to, on that video, as you see that it looks like the exterior of that truck is completely intact as it sits there. 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. 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 that blast, which they were parked directly in front of.”
Musk responded to this news stating, “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.”
WATCH:
NEW FOOTAGE: “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… The glass doors at the Trump hotel were not even broken.” pic.twitter.com/XtztqmZAYr
— America (@america) January 2, 2025
On Wednesday night, The Gateway Pundit reported that the perpetrator behind the shocking Cybertruck bombing at Trump Tower Las Vegas has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
[Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on The Gateway Pundit.com]
