Investigators have not excluded arson as they probe the causes of a major fire overnight at a Tesla dealership on the outskirts of Rome, in which 17 cars were burned, sources said on Monday.

The flames have been extinguished by the fire brigade.

Among other things, investigators will examine footage from the video surveillance cameras.

Tesla sales in Europe have fallen sharply amid controversy about billionaire owner Elon Musk’s role in a cost-cutting taskforce for US President Donald Trump’s administration.