Tesla owners confirmed on Wednesday that an online map decorated with an image of a Molotov cocktail includes accurate personal information about them, such as residential addresses, raising fears that activists opposed to billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk could target them for vandalism.
The online map went live Monday, displaying the names, addresses and contact information of some Tesla owners and dealerships and members of the Trump administration in an attempt to whip up further backlash against Musk for his role in the Trump administration. 404 Media first reported the website's existence.
Musk condemned the website, writing Tuesday on X: “Encouraging destruction of Teslas throughout the country is extreme domestic terrorism!!”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement on X Tuesday that the bureau was "actively working on the Tesla incidents and the swatting incidents."
The website, which was intermittently inaccessible Wednesday, encourages visitors to commit vandalism, including by using a spray can to “unleash your artistic flair” on a nearby Tesla and through other “creative expressions of protest.” And in a reference to the escalating vandalism of Tesla vehicles and facilities in recent weeks, the cursor on the desktop version of the map is an image of a Molotov cocktail.
NBC News spoke to six Tesla owners or their representatives who confirmed that at least some information on the website was accurate, though other owners said that in some cases phone numbers or addresses were out of date.
On Tuesday, someone armed with a gun and Molotov cocktails attacked a Tesla service center in Las Vegas, spray-painting “resist,” firing several shots and torching multiple cars, authorities said. It’s not clear whether the map was tied to the incident.
The website is causing concern among some Tesla owners who fear they or their vehicles could be attacked.
“Having our personal addresses out there is not something that I think is cool,” said a San Diego Tesla owner named Scott. His family owns two Teslas, and he asked that his name be withheld to prevent harassment. He said they bought the vehicles years ago, before Musk’s alliance with President Donald Trump, and that it didn’t make financial sense to sell them now.
“I think there’s much more effective ways to protest than attacking individuals’ property,” he said.
Some other Tesla owners said they weren’t particularly concerned about the site. One said the information listed about them was out of date, and another said personal information had become ubiquitous online anyway.
The site pushes Tesla owners to join the trend of people selling their vehicles so they can disassociate from Musk. The site says it will take down owners’ personal information if they provide “proof that you’ve sold your Tesla.”
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.In a post on X, it advised owners to turn on “sentry mode,” which allows owners to see and record live video from their vehicles’ cameras.
The site, called “Dogequest,” refers to Musk’s work for Trump as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has used the position to try to slash federal spending and reorganize whole federal agencies, leading to repeated clashes not only in the federal courts and with Congress but also within the Trump Cabinet. On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Musk’s shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development “likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways,” a decision that Musk attacked as wrong.
The map included only a small fraction of all Tesla owners, listing only a handful in some cities where Teslas are relatively common, such as San Francisco.
It’s not clear who is behind the online map or where they obtained the data they posted. The creators didn’t respond to an email sent to an address listed on the website requesting further information or comment.
Domain registration records for the website indicated it was registered via an anonymous domain hosting platform called Njalla Okta LLC.
The map was released following a rise in vandalism against Tesla. Aside from the Las Vegas incident, other reported attacks have involved charging stations in the Boston area and more Molotov cocktails thrown at a dealership in Colorado. On Monday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office reported that swastikas were painted on multiple Teslas at a dealership.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the attacks on Tesla property are “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and pledged federal investigations.
The Justice Department and the FBI didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment about the map.
