Summary

Elon Musk’s vocal support for Donald Trump and promotion of far-right conspiracy theories has alienated many Tesla owners, who now express embarrassment over their cars.

Sales of anti-Musk stickers, such as “Anti Elon Tesla Club,” have surged as owners distance themselves from Musk’s politics.

Once admired by liberals for his environmental advocacy, Musk’s alignment with Trump and leadership in his administration have sparked backlash.

While Tesla remains the dominant EV maker, analysts warn Musk’s polarizing image may impact sales as competition grows and Trump plans to cut EV tax incentives.

  • ⓝⓞ🅞🅝🅔
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    51 hour ago

    May impact sales…

    Let’s face it, people seem to be able to tolerate a lot of shit before they ever actually start showing how they feel with their wallets.

    • @recapitated
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      116 minutes ago

      Oh I don’t know, the Budweiser stock hit endured pretty lengthy after being advertised by a non-redneck.

  • @[email protected]
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    294 hours ago

    I cant stop laughing when I see a Cybertruck. This is the ultimate insecurity toy and the ugliest car ever made.

    • @[email protected]
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      63 hours ago

      I finally saw one in person and I was a little ashamed to live near someone who made that kind of choice.

  • @[email protected]
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    586 hours ago

    2018 he called a diver that saved kids a pedo. Anyone who bought a Tesla after that can get fucked.

    • FuglyDuck
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      315 hours ago

      A year after Tesla was started, he invested into it with shitloads of money.

      Then he sued Tesla for the “right” to be called a “founder”.

    • @krashmo
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      65 hours ago

      You say that but it’s a pretty recent development that there was any significant alternatives to Tesla in the American EV space. Even now that is one of the only options for buying used at a reasonable price. That is finally starting to change but for a lot of people between 2018 and now the choice was between buying another ICE vehicle or a Tesla. I don’t blame people for overlooking some of Elon’s faults in order to help address climate change, especially since the really crazy side of him wasn’t widely publicized until two-ish years ago.

      • @IamAnonymous
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        65 hours ago

        I would say it started around the pandemic, about 4 years ago

  • @xc2215x
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    145 hours ago

    Elon has became more embarrassing for sure.

    • @[email protected]
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      65 hours ago

      I’ve been seeing more and more of those stickers around the last couple of years. I think this is just the media catching up

  • @apfelwoiSchoppen
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    738 hours ago

    Meanwhile, cybertruck owners are doubling down on their wankpanzer purchase.

    • @takeda
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      568 hours ago

      Cyber truck owners seem like the same people that previously were making fun of EVs.

      • @[email protected]
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        55 hours ago

        While I appreciate the gender neutrality, it made me wonder: are there any women who voluntarily own a cyber truck? Every douchebag I see in or posing with one is a guy.

        • @krashmo
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          05 hours ago

          There’s not many women who own trucks in general, cyber or otherwise.

          • @[email protected]
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            63 hours ago

            I’m going to need some data for that one before I believe it. In the US, I have known many women who own trucks. I have lived in rural and urban areas and both had plenty of women who owned and drove trucks, including semi cabs. I could believe less by comparison but not “not many” without some data.

            • @krashmo
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              01 hour ago

              Just an anecdotal observation. A very small amount of trucks I see have women driving them. Could be lots of reasons for that but the simplest seems to be that women don’t buy them near as often. I don’t feel like an offhand remark needs a citation, though you’re welcome to look it up if you find the subject interesting enough to warrant further research.

              • Dragon Rider (drag)
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                12 minutes ago

                Another explanation is that women who buy trucks are more likely to also buy tinted windows. Which is reasonable because both are ways a woman can feel more secure and protected in a vehicle.

  • Nougat
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    499 hours ago

    While Tesla remains the dominant EV maker, …

    BYD has entered the chat.

    • m-p{3}
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      319 hours ago

      The US will just slap enough tariffs to make them roughly the same price as the competition.

      • Flying Squid
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        289 hours ago

        No need. You can’t even legally import them.

        • @[email protected]
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          298 hours ago

          As your Canadian buddy, do you want a hookup? We’ll meet on the border of Alberta and Montana under the moonlight where the moose crows.

          • @[email protected]
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            12 hours ago

            I’m not saying no. What can we bring for the trade? I’m not really sure what Canada needs from the US at this point, but we’re willing to be flexible.

          • @Viking_Hippie
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            186 hours ago

            moose crows.

            A terrifying hybrid species that weigh a thousand pounds, can fly, and remember the faces of those who have wronged them.

          • @[email protected]
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            46 hours ago

            lmao Canadians cant import BYD either. Check out the stupid rules for importing cars we have… Gonna have to wait 15 years for those imports.

          • @errer
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            48 hours ago

            Not if we slap tariffs on Canada…

              • @AbidanYre
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                45 hours ago

                We’ve still got Vermont. We’ll be ok.

                • @[email protected]
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                  54 hours ago

                  As a former Vermonter with a lot of state pride… you’d be amazed how few gallons Vermont actually produces! Also, if shit really hits the fan, we might end up with Vermont too!

              • @errer
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                57 hours ago

                I’m not your buddy, guy

      • @FireRetardant
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        239 hours ago

        As is the way of the “free market”. Us automakers aren’t even trying to compete, half their EVS are massive SUVs/trucks instead of smaller, lighter, more effecient designs.

        • @[email protected]
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          9 hours ago

          Which is exactly the same pattern they repeated in the 70s. Which is when Japan ate their lunch.

          This time though is a little different, with China’s vastly lower worker costs, and possible government subsidization in an attempt to corner the world auto market. I can understand and agree with the 100% tariff.

          • @FireRetardant
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            108 hours ago

            I’d be fine with the tarrif if there was a manufacturer actually trying to compete. Instead it feels like “nooo we can’t have byds cars here, americans need the electric F250 supercab!!!”

            I’d also be fine with the tarrif if there was going to be massive investments in public transit which could reduce the need to own a car and transit tends to be more effecient than even the best EVs and is more fair to more people.

            • @[email protected]
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              18 hours ago

              I’d be fine with the tarrif if there was a manufacturer actually trying to compete

              What about all the Japanese, Korean, and European brands selling cars here? Is there another market outside of China, where everything is sold well below cost after being built using slave labor and lax environmental regulations, where new cars are as cheap as you want them to be? I think they are competing but the cars are just expensive to build. China is hiding that expense from buyers just long enough for them to try to take over every local market at which time there will be no reason to keep them subsidized because all the competition will be gone.

                • @[email protected]
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                  137 minutes ago

                  Most of these brands do manufacture in the US, though, and even Ford and GM manufacture in Canada and Mexico. My issue is with people claiming that these tariffs (prior to Trump) are just protectionism for the couple remaining US companies when they’re not. They’re protectionism for the entire US auto market, which mostly consists of foreign brands.

          • @[email protected]
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            38 hours ago

            I think it’s a complicated situation but the legitimate reason for the tariffs (not just Musk shoveling money into Tesla) is that battery production is a strategic interest for drones and other military equipment.

            I think it’s logical we should make sure the US battery industry is able to develop.

        • Avid Amoeba
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          3 hours ago

          They are very much competing.You’re just confused about what they’re competing in. It’s profit, not size of vehicle, or efficiency or what have you. The F-150 is still the top selling vehicle in North America. Turns out small vehicles make less profit so they stopped making them and inflated the size of all remaining models.

          • @FireRetardant
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            17 hours ago

            Which is defintely a great strategy to reduce transportation emissions. And clearly everyone NEEDS a truck.

            • @FlowVoid
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              16 hours ago

              Car companies sell what customers want, not what they need.

              • m-p{3}
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                34 hours ago

                A want a decent electric sedan/hatchback but here we are.

                A SUV is too big for what I need.

                • @FireRetardant
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                  13 hours ago

                  The SUV costs more upfront, costs more to recharge, has larger tires which cost more and pollute more. The costs really add up fast if you are living on a budget.

              • @FireRetardant
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                26 hours ago

                Or are car companies only offering the bigger models because they make more profits?

                • @FlowVoid
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                  16 hours ago

                  The Chevy Bolt, a subcompact EV, has been around since 2016. The Nissan Leaf has been around since 2010.

                  Subcompacts of all types, EV and ICE alike, simply don’t sell as well as trucks in the US.

        • @[email protected]
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          18 hours ago

          What about the rest of the industry in the US? I don’t know why people focus on the two remaining US ICE manufacturers and ignore the dozens of other foreign manufacturers that sell vehicles here when discussing Chinese EVs.

  • @NeoNachtwaechter
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    359 hours ago

    Once admired by liberals for his environmental advocacy,

    They now know him for the liar that he is.

  • metaStatic
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    189 hours ago

    if Musk ever made the affordable car he’s been promising since day 1 I’d be one of these people

    • @[email protected]
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      279 hours ago

      He doesn’t deliver on his promises. He didn’t for the people who paid him large amounts for a car, he certainly won’t for the budget minded folk

      • metaStatic
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        69 hours ago

        He already (publicly at least) lost his mind by the time the cyber truck came out but that was the correct direction for a cheap vehicle

    • @MrVilliam
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      118 hours ago

      Fuck Musk, but the model 3 launched at like $35k and was eligible for a sizeable rebate. If you were already looking to buy a similar sized new car in 2019, it was relatively competitive. I don’t remember what the rebate amount was, but I’m sure it took at least $5k off.

      The issue is that instead of continuing that trend of basically replacing the Honda Civic, he built a fugly, terrible, overpriced truck whose existence could only ever be excused by its concept being a make-a-wish request from a now-dead six year old. Alas, there are no dead six year olds to blame for that monstrosity. We should’ve had a reliable and affordable EV accessible to nearly every working family in the country. We should’ve had a whole damn fleet of EV freight trucks, possibly with some autonomous driving, at least across long interstate roads where they would just need to keep pace, stay in lane, and not crash. Instead we got a newer, dumber, more dangerous Hummer.

      Again, fuck Musk. He could’ve been okay, but he chose to be awful instead.

      • metaStatic
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        11 hour ago

        I believe he was always awful he was just bad at showing it, the balding man child with no public speaking skills was kinda relateable.

        Unfortunately his core audience didn’t get the hairplugs and cocaine nose jobs required to keep him relateable.

      • ArtieShaw
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        57 hours ago

        existence could only ever be excused by its concept being a make-a-wish request from a now-dead six year old. Alas, there are no dead six year olds to blame for that monstrosity.

        Brutal but accurate

  • @FlowVoid
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    119 hours ago

    Former owner here. Such a relief to be rid of it. Never again as long as Musk remains at Tesla.

    • @takeda
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      18 hours ago

      Out of curiosity. What are you driving now?

  • @Bustedknuckles
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    68 hours ago

    So sell it? Plenty of musk fanboys will buy and selling used will reduce his income. Unless there are some non-transferable nonsenses that discourage private transfer?

    • andyburke
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      68 hours ago

      I’m in the market for a used EV - I won’t touch a Tesla (not just because of Musk, but he’s a part of it).

      🤷‍♂️

  • @ProIsh
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    109 hours ago

    Can confirm. Am one. Bought in 2018

  • @[email protected]
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    19 hours ago

    I would be embarrassed. I crossed t-la off my list when I started looking for an EV last year. Bought an i5 instead, and a t-la adapter in case I ever needed it. When I tried to use that adapter at a t-La super charger I was locked out. It looked like it might be necessary to give $ to melon husk, but they refused to give me e-, so it was no deal. And I found a free outlet elsewhere. Melon Husk, so compostable.

    • @pageflight
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      69 hours ago

      Yeah, paid my non-refundable deposit (grr), saw him buy Twitter, got out of there, bought a Volvo. Nicer hardware, actually preferable highway self driving for me, infotainment does take several minutes to boot. Very glad not to be trusting Musk’s word for my safety/privacy.