How Musk's Actions Could Drive European Buyers Away from Tesla

Title How Musk's Actions Could Drive European Buyers Away from Tesla

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has recently been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. His reconciliation with US President Donald Trump, his support of European far-right parties, and attacks on diversity policies may be driving European buyers away from Tesla.

In Germany and France, sales of Tesla's electric cars were halved year-on-year in January 2025. A series of isolated incidents targeting Tesla have sparked alarm among buyers and industry analysts alike. As German automotive industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer noted, Nobody wants to be associated with Musk's behavior. Yet the brand and its boss are almost inseparable.

The backlash has been particularly strong in Germany, where Musk has voiced firm support for the far-right AfD party – a political taboo in a country where the Nazi past remains a sensitive subject. Stickers bearing the message I bought this car before Elon went crazy have started appearing on German Tesla cars, mirroring similar incidents in the United States.

Musk's gesture at a Trump rally has been likened to a Nazi salute, drawing widespread criticism. At the end of January, activists projected a giant image of Musk's gesture and the word Heil onto the outside of a Tesla plant near Berlin.

Germany remains sensitive to its history, and Musk's political rhetoric is potentially toxic, given that many Tesla consumers are motivated by environmental concerns. As Enrico Parano, a 60-year-old banking executive who owns a Tesla, advised, Think carefully before buying a Tesla today.

Adriaan, a young French doctor who bought his Tesla second-hand, expressed concern about the potential impact on the environment if the world slows down its transition to electric vehicles. Other incidents targeting the Tesla brand or its owner have occurred outside Germany.

In the Netherlands, a Tesla showroom was vandalized with swastika graffiti and anti-fascist slogans in early February. In Poland, Tourism Minister Slawomir Nitras hinted at a possible boycott, stating that it is necessary to respond firmly to Musk.

While fans of Tesla in their 30s remain loyal to the brand, any boycott's impact would be difficult to measure as Tesla faces challenges in the European Union. Its range of vehicles is aging, and the brand must contend with an avalanche of competing models overcrowding a slowing market.

Despite these obstacles, Tesla's global sales remained stable last year, and since Trump's election, company shares have climbed to a record high. According to Ieva Englund of Swedish institute Novus, which conducted an online survey at the end of January, half of the Swedish population is either positive or neutral toward the brand, praising its innovative achievements and environmental impact.

Men between 35 and 49 years old, Tesla's main target group, remain relatively positive toward the brand. However, the deadlock surrounding Swedish Tesla employees who have been on strike for over a year demanding better wages and work conditions, as well as Musk's recent actions, have made everyone else see red, Englund said.

The future of Tesla in Europe remains uncertain. Will European buyers continue to support the brand despite its controversial owner? Only time will tell.

Keywords Tesla, Elon Musk, European Union, electric vehicles, sustainable living

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.