A Cybertruck parked in an outside lot in Georgia burst into flames just hours before Matthew Livelsberger intentionally blew up a truck of the same model outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
Firefighters rushed to a Tesla store in North Decatur, outside of Atlanta, in the early hours of December 31, finding the futuristic truck burning in a lot outside.
While they were quickly extinguished the flames, the vehicle’s interior and truck bed were completely scorched and the back tires melted.
Local authorities suspected a battery fire caused the incident in Georgia.
Livelsberger, 37, rented a Cybertruck, filled it with explosives and detonated it outside of Donald Trump’s hotel in Nevada.
However, both incidents come as Tesla has been quietly recalling Cybertruck batteries since September due to defects that could lead to them exploding.
Owners of the futuristic EV have reported Tesla staff contacting them about potentially faulty battery packs in their vehicles, asking them to bringing them to the closest dealer.
Firefighters were called to a Tesla store in Georgia this week when a Cybetruck burst into flames while parked in the outside lot
The explosion outside of Donald Trump ‘s Las Vegas hotel on January 1 was intentional
Matt Albers claimed to receive a text message in September about the recall, leaving him without his Cybertruck for more than two weeks while engineers waited for a new battery pack.
He posted the notice on Facebook to ask if other owners had a similar experience.
Another owner had a similar experience in December when they took their vehicle to the garage to have the side mirror replaced.
‘I submitted a service request to have [the mirror] replaced. Within two minutes, Tesla approved the request, but the estimate included that they were also replacing the high-voltage battery,’ the owner wrote on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum.
Tesla’s Cybertruck has been plagued by recalls since launching in November 2023.
The largest was last April when the accelerator pedal became trapped in the interior trim, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.
The recall included every Cybertruck manufactured from November 13, 2023, through April 4, 2024.
Some EV experts have speculated that Tesla is conducting the current recall without making a public announcement to avoid public scrutiny.
Sources familiar with the battery recall told Electrek that trucks found to have dents in battery packs are being shipped back to the Gigafactory in Texas to have the packs replaced.
The back tire melted during the fire that officials suspected was caused by the battery
Law enforcement officials have identified Matthew Livelsberger, 37, as the person who rented a Cybertruck, filled it with explosives and detonated it outside the Las Vegas hotel on January 1
Matt Albers claimed to receive a text message in September about the recall , leaving him without his Cybertruck for more than two weeks while engineers waited for a new battery pack
The issue has only been found in inventory vehicles, suggesting no customers have issued a formal complaint about battery issues.
During the Las Vegas explosion, the Cybertruck exploded 15 seconds after the driver pulled up in front of the hotel’s entrance.
But Livelsberger shot himself in the head before the bomb went off.
The explosion caused injuries to seven people, but virtually no damage to the hotel. Livelsberger was the only fatality.
The blast was caused by ‘a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck’ or ‘very large fireworks’, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Trump also reacted to the incident, writing on his social media platform, Truth Social: ‘Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to our Country. The CIA must get involved, NOW, before it is too late. The USA is breaking down – A violent erosion of Safety, National Security, and Democracy is taking place all across our Nation.
‘Only strength and powerful leadership will stop it. See you on January 20th. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’
It is likely that Livelsberger planned a more damaging attack, but the steel-sided vehicle absorbed much of the force from the crudely-built explosive, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said.
Upon inspecting the wreckage, authorities found firework mortars and camp fuel canisters stuffed into the back of the Cybertruck, indicating that this was a planned, intentional attack.
