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Suspect charged in connection with Tesla New Mexico arson

Another suspect has been charged in connection with the vandalism of a Tesla store—this time in New Mexico.

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Credit: Andrea Conway/X

Authorities have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with a firebombing attack on a Tesla store in New Mexico, amidst a larger wave of vandalism attempts targeting the company’s vehicles and retail locations.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a suspect had been arrested in relation to a pair of firebombing attempts on Tesla’s Albuquerque store, saying that authorities would attempt to seek up to 40 years in prison for the suspect.

Later in the day, the Albuquerque resident, 40-year-old Jamison Wagner, had officially been charged related to separate fires at the Tesla store on February 9 and at a nearby Republican Party office on March 30, according to a report Bloomberg. The suspect is charged with two counts of malicious destruction of property by fire or explosives.

“We have made an arrest in connection to the February firebombing of a New Mexico Tesla dealership and the March attack on the New Mexico Republican Party Headquarters,” Bondi wrote in a post on X. “We will be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law. We are seeking up to 40 years in prison—no negotiating.”

READ MORE ON TESLA VANDALISM: Tesla attacks get FBI task force to squash the acts of ‘domestic terrorism’

Patel went on to say in his own post that evidence recovered at the crime scene suggested that the arrest, made on Saturday, prevented further arson attempts.

The February attack involved two Tesla vehicles that had been set on fire, along with graffiti saying “Tesla Nazi Inc,” “Die Elon,” and drawings of swastikas, court documents show.

After gaining a search warrant for Wagner’s home, Federal investigators discovered evidence that linked him to both the Tesla store attack and the Republican headquarters attack, including incendiary devices and spray paint identified as the graffiti at the crime scenes.

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The news follows a series of vandalism targeting Tesla stores in the U.S. and around the world, in response to Elon Musk’s controversial involvement with the administration of President Donald Trump.

Over the past few months, Bondi, Patel, Musk, and the Trump administration have repeatedly vowed to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law in the past several weeks, along with noting that the attacks would be considered “domestic terrorism.”

In late March, authorities charged another vandal in connection with a Las Vegas repair center fire, concluding that the alleged attacker had used Molotov cocktails to set the building and five vehicles on fire. The same week, another 17 cars at a Tesla store in Rome, Italy were set on fire, while the country’s anti-terror police unit, the General Investigations and Special Operations Division, known as DIGOS, continues to investigate how the fire began.

Last Tuesday, Tesla announced that the company was working with the FBI to investigate an explosion at a Supercharger in Lacey, Washington. While a suspect hasn’t been arrested, authorities and users online have since been circulating photos from surrounding security footage to attempt to identify a man who is now wanted by police in connection with the attack.

This Tesla vandal caused thousands in damage, but she was let off the hook: Here’s why

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, new delivery dates show

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, and new delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025.

The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV 4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.

However, Tesla has been kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China; it ranks in the top 5 of all EVs in the country, trailing the BYD Seagull, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, and the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan.

The other three models ahead of the Model Y are priced substantially lower.

Tesla is still dealing with strong demand for the Model Y, and the company is now pushing delivery dates to early 2026, meaning the vehicle is sold out for the year:

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Tesla experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year rise in its China-made EV sales for November, meaning there is some serious potential for the automaker moving into next year despite increased competition.

There have been a lot of questions surrounding how Tesla would perform globally with more competition, but it seems to have a good grasp of various markets because of its vehicles, its charging infrastructure, and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, which has been expanding to more countries as of late.

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Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October

Tesla holds a dominating lead in the United States with EV registrations, and performs incredibly well in several European countries.

With demand in China looking strong, it will be interesting to see how the company ends the year in terms of global deliveries.

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Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign

The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands. 

The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.

The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.

Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun. 

“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website. 

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This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.

Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.

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Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges

New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla’s sales momentum in China strengthened in November, with wholesale volumes rising to 86,700 units, reversing a slowdown seen in October. 

New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month. This was partly driven by tightened delivery windows, targeted marketing, and buyers moving to secure vehicles before changes to national purchase tax incentives take effect.

Tesla’s November rebound coincided with a noticeable spike in Model Y interest across China. Delivery wait times extended multiple times over the month, jumping from an initial 2–5 weeks to estimated handovers in January and February 2026 for most five-seat variants. Only the six-seat Model Y L kept its 4–8 week estimated delivery timeframe.

The company amplified these delivery updates across its Chinese social media channels, urging buyers to lock in orders early to secure 2025 delivery slots and preserve eligibility for current purchase tax incentives, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla also highlighted that new inventory-built Model Y units were available for customers seeking guaranteed handovers before December 31.

This combination of urgency marketing and genuine supply-demand pressure seemed to have helped boost November’s volumes, stabilizing what had been a year marked by several months of year-over-year declines.

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For the January–November period, Tesla China recorded 754,561 wholesale units, an 8.30% decline compared to the same period last year. The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to operate as both a domestic production base and a major global export hub, building the Model 3 and Model Y for markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, among other territories.

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