Since the beginning of the year, sales of Tesla vehicles have been declining in many parts of the world. There are likely several reasons, but for the big one, no need to look very far: Elon Musk’s recent political statements and gestures, coupled his active presence within the current U.S. president's entourage and administration.
The company's models have long been controversial – hello Cybertruck – but they’re even more so since Donald Trump took office.
In recent weeks, many Tesla owners have turned vocal about their growing unease with being associated with Musk. Case in point, a Quebec Tesla fan club headed by Stéphane Pascalon that brings together enthusiasts of the company and its models. As reported by Automotive News, for many members, pride of ownership has turned to shame. The club even plans to distribute bumper stickers so that owners can distance themselves from Elon Musk. The sticker features a Tesla logo in a green heart, beside the name “Elon” on a stop sign.
Some stickers have appeared on Teslas in American states that succintly sum up the feelings of many: “I bought this before we knew Elon Musk was crazy.”
Automotive News reports that a recent survey of its members by the Quebec fan club revealed that around 80 percent of those surveyed want to disassociate themselves from Elon Musk. Around 50 percent said they don't want to participate in Tesla's public events, according to Pascalon.
“Previously, they were very proud of their car and now we can see that the actions of Elon Musk really divide people, so it’s more difficult to be proud of having a Tesla today.”
- Stéphane Pascalon
Henry Ford
You may think this is unprecedented, but it actually isn’t. Exactly 100 years ago, Henry Ford published a newspaper called The Dearborn Independent (also known as The Ford International Weekly). Henry Ford was a known Nazi sympathizer, and that was reflected in the paper’s anti-Semitic editorial stance. It led to a movement to boycott Ford products, and many owners were uncomfortable with having bought a Ford product. Henry Ford was forced to close his newspaper in 1927.
It’s not hard to see a parallel with Elon Musk's recent salutes that bore a disturbing resemblance to the Nazi salute, and let’s not forget Musk’s declarations of support for a far-right political party in Germany.
Some current owners of Tesla vehicles are reporting being unwitting receptacles for anti-Musk sentiment. Stéphane Pascalon related having heard of several cases where some of the 1,700 members of the group have been shown the middle finger on the road, while others have been treated aggressively.
In Vancouver, police are investigating a case of vandalism at a Tesla dealership, in which an obscene remark about Musk was painted on an exterior wall during the night of February 8-9. A post on Reddit showing the graffiti received thousands of votes of approval.
Finaly, Pascalon said that around 4 percent of those surveyed responded that they don’t plan to buy a Tesla as their next electric vehicle; a smaller percentage say they want to sell the Tesla vehicle they currently own.