Tesla Cybertruck Blows Up in Front of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas With Driver Still Inside

UPDATE2. Sources talking to CNN said that authorities found traces of fireworks, some unburnt camping fuel and pieces of gas tanks. Other news outlets say that the explosive materials were allegedly rigged to a detonation system. The driver might have wanted to get out alive but something could've gone wrong and, in the end, they lost their life.

UPDATE1. Police now say that the Cybertruck was rented from Turo. Elon Musk chimed in and noted that the events might be linked since the F-150 Lightning used in the New Orleans attack was obtained via the same platform. Tesla's CEO also confirmed that nothing went wrong with the vehicle and blamed "some sort of explosives" for what happened.

The original story continues below.

A Tesla Cybertruck was recorded being driven right at the front glass entrance of the iconic Trump International hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shortly after it was parked, the electric pickup truck burst violently into flames at around 8:30 AM PST (4:30 PM GMT).

The footage available below shows that the unknown driver kept their foot on the brake pedal until the Cybertruck exploded. Police say the person inside the vehicle was found deceased. They did not say if they found out the name or even the driver's gender.

Even though the press asked for more info, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police sheriff wasn't keen on offering any more details. However, he confirmed that the explosion injured seven people.

He also underlined that the Police are aware of what happened in New Orleans and are doing everything they can to protect the community. The FBI is assisting LVMP in solving this case and has already named a special agent in charge.

The authorities didn't mention much about what really transpired because the investigation is ongoing. They want to get to the bottom of it without alerting other possible offenders, but the videos captured sounds and light resembling fireworks. That and the fact that the driver remained inside the vehicle with the foot on the brake might indicate a deliberate action. Someone possibly wanted to send a very expensive and dangerous message, but nothing has been confirmed in this regard yet.

UPDATE. Twitter (X) has already taken action and removed a guest's video depicting the immediate aftermath. The video has since been brought back online.

Many netizens on Twitter (X) and YouTube do not believe that this was an unfortunate accident, but the authorities haven't offered any extra details as of this writing. Some journalists are trying to track down the vehicle and its owner based on the license plate data, but it has proven difficult. Keep in mind that any other theory you might read or hear is nothing but speculation until we have official confirmation that this was indeed a terrorist attack.

Also, remember that Cybertrucks can't drive themselves without a human driver just yet. They have FSD Supervised, but the all-electric pickup trucks aren't fully autonomous.

Finally, it's worth noting that EVs don't simply explode. A high-voltage battery can go into thermal runaway and form large vapor clouds that force the pack to spontaneously disassemble, but such cases are extremely rare. Essentially, we're talking about a short circuit and the build-up of excessive heat generated by toxic gasses. Rapid changes in temperature and pressure can lead to flames but very rarely to explosions such as the one that happened in this case.