Is Musk damaging the perception of Tesla?

Although it was quite evident that he had conservative political tendencies, until recently Elon Musk was not considered so closely aligned with the U.S. right-wing. In the last six months, however, his political positions have increasingly aligned with those of Trump, becoming one of his closest collaborators. For example, the American entrepreneur has invested tens of millions of dollars in the electoral campaign of the elected president, even securing a role in his administration – he will head a new agency tasked with advising on the reduction of federal agency expenses. Furthermore, after acquiring Twitter and renaming it X, Musk has turned the platform into a kind of “political propaganda machine” for the U.S. right, reinstating the profiles of several controversial figures previously banned. All of this has made Musk one of the most divisive figures in the country. In this context, many conservatives are considering buying Tesla vehicles, while thousands of progressives who previously drove them are now trying to distance themselves from the brand. "The changed perceptions surrounding Tesla and its CEO are a clear example of how consumer behavior can become politicized," Bloomberg explains. Buying products from certain brands is increasingly becoming a way to take a stand, even politically. More generally, in the past decade, many companies have been asked – by more socially conscious consumers – to take a position on various political and social issues, such as gender equality or the climate crisis.

In the United States, for many years owning a Tesla electric vehicle meant being – more or less indirectly – aligned with the progressive side and supporting environmental causes. Even The New York Times journalist Eve Peyser confirmed that "less than a decade ago, owning a Tesla meant having an interest in electric cars, a decent amount of income, and caring about climate change." One of the most creative ways some Tesla owners have found to distance themselves from the brand is by putting a specific sticker on the hood. The manager of an online store specializing in stickers told The New York Times that in the last year, he has sold 18,000 stickers of this type, aimed specifically at Tesla owners who want to show they are not aligned with Musk’s positions. The most popular stickers read, "I bought it before we found out Elon was crazy" or "Anti Elon Tesla Club". The phenomenon has become so widespread that other stores have begun offering the opposite version of these stickers, targeting a more conservative audience – one such sticker reads, "I bought it after finding out Elon is awesome".

How is Tesla doing?

Recently, Tesla announced that it sold nearly 1.8 million cars in 2024, a 1.1% decrease from 2023. This news is significant because it marks the first time since 2011 that the brand’s sales have dropped. According to observers, the sales decline is mainly due to the competition from companies like General Motors, Kia-Hyundai, Volkswagen, and BMW, which have produced more affordable and accessible electric vehicles in recent years. However, Tesla’s main competitor is the Chinese company BYD, which sold 1.76 million electric cars in 2024 – just shy of Tesla’s numbers, which still produces nearly half of all electric vehicles in the United States. One of Tesla’s flagship products is the Cybertruck, a pickup launched in 2023 with a particularly recognizable square design. Recently, there has been much talk about this model due to an explosion near the entrance of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Inside the pickup was a man who had reportedly taken his own life; seven other people in the vicinity were injured but not seriously. Las Vegas police officers found containers filled with gasoline and other fuels, along with several mortar shells for fireworks. However, the authorities determined that the incident was not a terrorist attack but the result of an act stemming from post-traumatic stress disorder. On X, Musk wrote that the explosion "was caused by fireworks and/or a bomb" and that the truck itself had no defects. The Tesla vehicle owners who are getting rid of their cars rarely complain about the quality of the vehicles, Bloomberg notes – they simply do not want to be associated with Musk and his views.