Truckloads of Tesla Batteries Keep Getting Stolen Before They Even Leave the Factory

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Paresh Dave
Business
Jun 29, 2026 5:00 AM

Truckloads of Tesla Batteries Keep Getting Stolen Before They Even Leave the Factory

Nine major suspected cargo thefts happened at Tesla’s Nevada battery factory in January alone, according to sheriff’s records obtained by WIRED.

Trailers containing millions of dollars worth of Tesla car and home batteries have allegedly been stolen straight from loading docks at the company’s Nevada facilities at least 11 times since last December, according to sheriff’s records obtained by WIRED. ... “It’s an epidemic right now,” says Storey County Sheriff’s Detective Sam Hatley, who has been investigating the Tesla cases.

Three men suspected of carrying out one of the heists were arrested in January and charged with felony possession of stolen property. But the broader spate of cargo thefts plaguing Elon Musk’s car company are still under investigation and have not been previously reported.

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Hatley tells WIRED the incidents documented in the sheriff's records reflect only a portion of the problem. Investigators are tracking a total of 17 alleged cargo thefts this year involving Tesla and other businesses in Storey County, though Hatley declined to say how many involved the carmaker specifically. One alleged operation that targeted Tesla also struck battery recycler Redwood Materials. These figures may be an undercount, Hatley adds, because companies are sometimes reluctant to disclose that their products have been stolen.

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