“I bought this before Elon went crazy”
Once a symbol of cutting-edge electric mobility, Tesla now appears to be a road pariah. The reason? The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, and his controversial political statements in recent years which have embarrassed many of the brand’s customers.
During Donald Trump’s inauguration last January, the billionaire struck his chest with his right hand before extending his arm with his palm open. He then repeated the gesture as he turned to the crowd behind him, before declaring, “My heart goes out to you.” The gesture was likened to a Nazi salute, fueling an already growing controversy over Musk’s extremist views such as his support for the AfD in Germany and his close ties to Donald Trump. As a result, the Tesla CEO’s behavior caused sales of his brand’s vehicles to plummet. LINK
This Monday on the A1 motorway in Luxembourg, we came across a driver who went even further: in addition to the inscription on his trunk, the owner of this Tesla removed the brand logo altogether. It has been replaced by the Alfa Romeo logo, which belongs to the Stellantis group. The latter however is better known for controversies over the reliability of its PureTech engines than political issues.
Some Tesla owners are no longer just afraid of dirty looks or snide remarks from other drivers. Acts of vandalism are on the rise (damage, sabotage, arson, etc.). To protect themselves, drivers are trying to hide the brand, like this Tesla seen on the A1 but it remains to be seen if the “rebrand” will fool others.
