By Cole Gee | Staff Writer
Newberg, Ore. senior Alexander Aguilar is a proud Tesla owner. Over spring break, he and his family test drove the new Model Y SUV. But hours after they left, the same lot they enjoyed their test drive in was shot at.
The incident was the latest in a long string of recent attacks against Tesla dealerships and owners in response to the business practices and political affiliations of CEO Elon Musk — his relationship with the Trump Administration, leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency and his controversial gesture made on Inauguration Day.
Aguilar said while he admires Musk’s business acumen, he admits he doesn’t completely approve of how Musk is running DOGE. However, he said he still wouldn’t express his criticism through property damage.
“We don’t have any concerns for our own vehicle, but it’s definitely on our minds in Oregon,” Aguilar said. “It’s just a lot crazier than it is here in Texas.”
Local police released a statement regarding the attack, stating that “While the motivation for this has not been confirmed, we are aware that other Tesla dealerships have been targeted across Oregon and the nation for political reasons.”
It’s part of a national phenomenon. On March 3 in Boston, seven Tesla charging stations outside a mall were set on fire. On March 7 in South Carolina, a 24-year-old man allegedly threw five Molotov cocktails at a Tesla charging station, and on March 18 in Las Vegas, a person opened fire on Tesla cars at a repair shop and lit them on fire with Molotov cocktails.
In response to the attacks, President Trump posted to Truth Social on March 20, saying, “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla. Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”
In recent years, Musk has made considerable efforts to boost the presence of Tesla and electric vehicles in Republican-led states, including Texas. The company recently invested $200 million for a new mega-factory in Katy to produce its mega-pack energy products. Gov. Abbott also granted Musk’s SpaceX $17.3 million to expand the Starlink manufacturing facility near Austin.
Congressman Pete Sessions, who represents Texas’ 17th Congressional District just north of Tesla’s Austin factory, said the influx of tech companies to Texas is spurred by Texans’ desire to work combined with state policies.
“Millions are moving out of liberal cities,” Sessions said. “They’re trying to get away from these blue cities … where they literally let tens of billions of dollars worth of houses and property go down because they didn’t have the water to take care of it because they’re more concerned about a woke environment. We got to make it work in Texas.”
These investments are in line with a continued push to make Texas more supportive of electric vehicles. Texas currently has over 300,000 electric vehicles registered in the state, surpassing a major milestone for the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance.
Baylor has also embraced the rapid popularity of electric vehicles, installing multiple EV charging stations across campus, with more reportedly on the way.
Despite the popularity of electric vehicles, Tesla stock is down by more than 28% compared to March 2024, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalled over 46,000 Cybertrucks due to an external panel that poses a risk of separating from the car and causing collisions.
Meanwhile, some Tesla owners have begun to wonder whether the benefits the car provides is worth it. Some have gone as far as to remove the Tesla logo and replace it with a fake one to mask the car’s manufacturer. Others have sold them off — car reviewer site Edmunds reports that “Tesla cars from model year 2017 or newer accounted for 1.4% of all the vehicles traded in until March 15.”
Despite this, Aguilar is still happy with his Tesla and said he could never imagine trading it in.
“I love it, and I don’t really care that much about the public opinion of it,” Aguilar said. “I’ve had a couple thoughts and concerns about potential damage, but it’s also covered in cameras. I’m not too worried about liability and repairs … I feel like I’m less concerned about owning my car here in Texas than my family’s Tesla in Oregon, where it’s obviously just more progressive in Oregon than it is in Texas.”
