So, if you make cars to stop the weather from changing… being hardcore anti-immigrant and anti-tranny is probably not going to jive with that.
It’s almost like Elon has some other reason entirely for pushing this agenda.
Though I can’t say for sure.
Elon Musk has long flirted with rightwing politics, and delights in pushing an image of himself as a contrarian showman. Yet in recent months the billionaire’s political allegiances have started to raise a question for Tesla, the company that he built into the world’s largest electric carmaker: just how far can he go before customers start to abandon his products?
The German pharmacy chain Rossmann was one of the first to put its head above the parapet this week. The family-owned company announced that it would not add to the 34 Teslas in its company fleet because of Musk’s endorsement of Donald Trump for US president.
“Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax,” wrote Raoul Roßmann, a spokesperson for Rossmann. “This attitude is in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to contribute to environmental protection through the production of electric cars.”
That’s correct.
I said that like, 4 years ago.
Interesting that it is just now reaching the media.
Musk’s endorsement of Donald Trump has been followed in recent days by inflammatory posts about the far-right riots in the UK. “Civil war is inevitable,” he posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter that he bought for $44bn in 2022. That prompted condemnation from left and rightwing politicians in the UK. Musk has also engaged with posts by Tommy Robinson, boosting the visibility of the founder of a British far-right group, and on Thursday posted fake news from the co-leader of another, Britain First.
For some Tesla drivers, Musk’s recent shift has added an unwelcome dimension to their decision on what car to drive.
“I love my Tesla,” said a senior executive in the television industry. “It’s a brilliant car to drive and I really like it. The brand was always forward looking and something to be proud of.”
Now though, “you’re clearly aligning with someone with some pretty horrific views” by buying a Tesla, he said. The executive said he has cancelled his order for a new Tesla, which had been placed through a leasing company.
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In Tesla online forums owners of the cars debate whether Musk’s politics have affected the brand. Bumper stickers are available for purchase online featuring slogans such as: “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.”
David Bach, the professor of strategy and political economy at IMD, a business school based in Lausanne, Switzerland, said that Musk is not the first chief executive to start speaking out on political issues in ways that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. But Musk’s recent turn is different.
“In many ways Musk is a special case,” Bach said. “Usually there is some alignment with the interests of the business, or employees or customers. Elon Musk doesn’t seem to be doing that.”
Yeah, if Musk was selling Bushmasters or Hiluxi, it would make a lot more sense.
The fact that he’s selling the weather-changer mobile… doesn’t make a lot of sense.
There is pretty much zero overlap between his politics and the target market of Tesla. That’s especially true since the Cybertruck was such a disaster. Maybe wealthy right-wingers would have bought that if it had been better quality. But right-wingers not only like gas-powered cars, but they also watch YouTube reviews. I’ve not seen a single positive YouTube review for the Cybertruck.
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Elvis Dunderhoff contributed to this article.