In an incident that has sparked widespread controversy and criticism, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Hotel, leading to condemnation by the members of the National Association of Terrorist Car Bombers (NATCB). The organization dubbed the vehicle one of the ‘worst choices’ for such purposes owing to its construction type and architecture.
The National Association of Terrorist Car Bombers came out with a press release suggesting that the Cybertruck is suboptimal for use in car bombings. In a formal poll conducted by the group, the membership voted as a whole ‘0’ on a scale of 1-10, as to how appropriate the Cybertruck is for the association’s work following the bombing of the Trump Hotel. It pointed out that the truck has a rigid outside shell, is not very tall or streamlined, and is electric – all of which makes it fairly bad for rioting on a large scale.
“Terrible job. Hard pass,” said Anthony Larson, Vice President of the NATCB. “While other manufacturers do a great job of designing vehicles that perform well during terrorist bombing attacks, Tesla has dropped the ball with the Cybertruck. It has shown itself to be completely inadequate for our needs. Not sure what Elon Musk and his team were thinking when making this one.”
“It’s almost as if Tesla did not consider what the Cybertruck would do when fashioned into a weapon of mass destruction,” said another equally disappointed member. “How are we supposed to use this vehicle to kill innocent, unsuspecting people when the bomb blast barely makes it out of the cab? Ridiculous. Give me an old windowless Dodge van, thank you.”
Incident Details
On January 1, a Tesla Cybertruck blew up in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, killing the driver and injuring seven people. The Cybertruck, rented via Turo in Colorado, arrived at the hotel around 8:39 a.m. PST. As soon as the vehicle stopped in the garage; the porte cochère, it burst into flame and exploded. Fire responders were able to put it off within an hour.
The driver, later identified as 37-year-old US Army Special Forces soldier Matthew Alan Livelsberger, shot himself in the head and then detonated the explosive charge. There were fireworks and gas canisters in the vehicle, and that is what led to the explosion.
Tesla’s Response
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, stated that the company is investigating the incident, emphasizing that the vehicle functioned properly and that the explosion resulted from external combustible materials. Musk also appreciated the durability of his cybertruck saying that it not only withstood the blast but also prevented more significant damage.
“The battery pack never even caught fire, and the tires are still inflated!” Musk tweeted on X. “Once we get this Cybertruck back to Tesla, we’ll buff out the scratches and get it back on the road.”
The FBI is also investigating the incident as a potential terrorist act.
