The Tesla takedown has begun. A national protest movement seeks to strike a blow to Elon Musk’s net worth
As DOGE barrels through D.C., Americans on the ground are starting to mobilize outside Tesla dealerships.
Later: "Due to the struggling stock market and their essential nature to the economy, we have no choice but to bail out Tesla Motors."
Better than nothing, but not good enough. Please visit your local government buildings and get involved. Not buying Teslas won't make a difference like actual difference-making will.
Hear me out. Tesla makes (or at least made) innovative cars, they persued their vision of electric vehicles and made EVs a commonplace option for the average consumer. They needed Musk's capital to do that. They are still capable of doing great things... But not with Elon at the helm. The best thing we can do, even if you like your Model 3, or even your damn Cybertruck, is to get Elon out of Tesla.
That means boycotts. Don't use their chargers, don't rent or buy their cars, don't subscribe to their full-self driving, and black them out on social media.
you're a joke, tesla sucks and is made a joke by the Chinese.
All subsidised with billions and still failing in the world market.
Average consumer? Tesla never did that, they make sports cars.
Something like a Nissan leaf is far more affordable for the average person.
Lmao. Tesla made luxury vehicles.
Even if Musk gets fired, he'll still own a huge percentage of the stock. If the goal is to hurt his net worth, then the boycott shouldn't end with his dismissal.
Agreed. He should be separated from shares (imho) before any person should feel good about helping out Tesla.
Yeah I got a tesla and still retain my stocks in tesla from years back. Ever since I realized how shitty Elon is, I haven't bought any more. Though, I haven't pulled out either because elon can be replaced, and I think the company is still capable of innovation.
I'm not really qualified to give stock advice, but from what I understand, Tesla's stock price is seriously over-valued for what they produce, and a large chunk of it's price is speculation on what Elon is going to do. When it becomes clear to even the dumbest investor that Elon is toxic, that shit is going to tumble fast. IMO, it's a big wave that has to crash down at some point. Sell high.
Not a stock market expert though, talk to someone who knows their shit about it.
Tesla has become the official automobile brand of magastan. When you see one rolling down the road, or more likely stuck in 2 inches of snow, at least you'll know where its owner stands on things like equality and the new national norm of fascism.
As a Tesla owner, this is 100% untrue. I'm extremely progressive and LGBTQIA+. I now HATE Musk and I'm exactly the kind of person Musk hates. I bought a Tesla when Musk was in his "seems a bit crazy but wasn't a Trump supporter or a Nazi" phase. Many people bought them being even less aware of his antics until recently.
My financial situation, leaving the US in a few months, makes selling it and buying another vehicle a very stupid idea. Others are now underwater on their loans since their value has taken a shit. I have friends who own Teslas that like their cars and don't want to sell just because the CEO turned out to be a Nazi fuck.
It's easy to paint people with a broad brush, but it's the same lazy ideology the MAGAs use. Be better.
Edit: I'm glad the value is tanking, but I'd rather Musk be ousted or, better yet, be given a little impromptu extra ventilation in his braincase. I love/loved my car but now it's tainted and I hate that.
If you're truly on the side of good, sell that thing. Not sure what else to tell you, but we're at a point in history where lines need to be drawn. I can tell you with zero hesitation, that if I owned a Tesla before MAGA decided it was going Eastern European strongman autocracy, that's what I would do.
Cybertrucks, maybe. But the sedans were, for a long time, the only real EV game in town. Owning them now does nothing to enrich Musk, and selling them does nothing to harm him. In fact, a mass selloff (of vehicles, not shares) may very well be helpful to his bottom line, since if you increase the used stock you make buying a dealer-new Tesla more attractive (when a bunch of them sit on a dealer lot all shiny, they're essentially advertisements). Plus, if you replace one with a gas vehicle, you're enriching the petroleum lobby that also helped put Musk Trump in office.
Tesla owners who care about making a difference should reduce waste by hanging on to their vehicles until they're falling to pieces (which won't take long in the case of the cybertruck), and then replace it with a low-cost EV made by someone else. In the meantime, cancel any recurring subscriptions on the vehicle, put a meaningful statement of resistance on the bumper, drive it to protests and campaign events for non-fascist candidates, and use it to contribute significant mutual aid within your community.
Even at this point, I doubt it. Many might be people that bought in before they knew who and what Musk is and are just riding it out. I'm not sure what the used market is like for Tesla right now, but even with normal depreciation, selling a used car and trying to find a comparable replacement may set you back.
I can never tell if you lot are just your typical purity testing Americans, well meaning but dimwitted „allies" or trolls sewing divisiveness amongst actual allies. Regardless, this rhetoric is indicative of why your country is imploding.
Our country is imploding because it pivoted hard towards fascism. I'm not trying to call out well-meaninged folks in the process, but blaming fellow liberals for associating the Tesla brand with Nazis is not a genuine sentiment. This is Musk's and MAGA's fault exclusively.
For those who regrettably went Tesla before all this mess and aren't in a position to sell, put a bumper sticker on it, or find another way to show your disdain for what's happening. Again, you can't blame people for using tools like speech and economy. And, ignoring what's happening is a self-defeating endeavor that only results in normalization.
If you weren't already boycotting everything Elon touches what the fuck is wrong with you?
Does it count as boycotting if you could never afford it in the first place?
just makes the boycotting that much easier.
Better late than never, I say. Better to praise new good behavior than complain about the delay!
Right, the best time was yesterday. Today is the second best time but it's better than nothing.
wow you are reeeeaaaal revolutionaries!
that will show them!
And as Musk wreaks irreparable damage to his personal brand, Tesla sales are tanking, especially in Europe: In Germany, sales plunged by 59% in January, following Musk’s endorsement of the country’s far-right AfD party. They were also down 63% in France year-over-year, in January.
The EV-maker’s net income in the fourth quarter of 2024 fell 71% from the same time in the previous year [...]
You love to see it.
Why is the focus on musk? He’s not the root problem. Trump is the one who gave him power, even if m is removed, t will put another big donor in power.
You know how we "make an example" out of people who do things we don't like?
We need to make an example out of billionaires that put up hundreds of millions of dollars to manipulate elections. Billionaires and big business should have no place in politics.
So the purpose is to change the law that allows unlimited donations? It’s kind of too late…. Do you not remember the inauguration photo of trump surrounded by billionaires? He doesn’t care about the law, no one can touch him. The us is a dictatorship now. The old way of thinking needs to change. We need new strategies.
Trump doesn’t care about his ratings. He doesn’t care about the protesters, and is waiting for things to get “out of control” so that he’ll enact martial law. T will keep giving billionaires taxpayer money, whether or not the citizens want him to, and whether or not the citizens are buying their products.
My question really, who is buying tesla's these days, and is that even a noteworthy percentage of musks income these days.
Honestly it looks to me like musk is just adapting to leaching off the government anyway. Also throwing in the pivot of basically getting trump to commit to buying (Edit due to incorrect information:) Vehicles from tesla for military use. I mean yes absolutely don't give him the extra stream of income... but, but I can't help but feel this is rather toothless.
Musk's net worth is largely tied to Tesla's market cap. Most of his wealth is in those shares
Make the brand extremely toxic and start affecting the share price. People are investing in the company not for logical reasons, but primarily emotional ones. People seeing mass anger and protest of Teslas hit the emotion part
What do you mean "adapting" he has never done anything but Leach off the govt. Tesla isn't so much a car company as it is a carbon credits company that sells govt carbon credits to other car manufacturers. Other than that, SpaceX is basically fully funded by fed contracts and boring by state and municipal contracts.
Like the idea that he is even a decent businessman is a wild exaggeration. He's been gaming the system and leaching off the taxpayers from the jump
Its not like he started Tesla or SpaceX anyway, they try to keep him as far away from operations as possible.
commit to buying military cybertrucks
I just want to be clear that they order was for armored Teslas in general, not specifically Cybertrucks.
Armored vehicles tend to be standard vehicles retrofitted with armor. This could mean any model of Tesla, not specifically the Cybertruck, especially since Musk already suspended Cybertruck production at the end of 2024.
I just keep seeing repeat that it's going to be Cybertrucks but literally the evidence does not bear out it being Cybertrucks, especially since production of Cybertrucks was already suspended.
EDIT:
Also, assuming it's a Cybertruck is literally buying into and re-enforcing the marketing of the Cybertruck being a powerful armored vehicle to begin with. We all know that's not true.
My question really, who is buying tesla’s these days, and is that even a noteworthy percentage of musks income these days.
That's a very good question honestly. For anyone that cares to get a rough estimate of purchase date/support before doing something rash (unlikely, but hey, as an owner from 2018 that doesn't like any other reasonably affordable EV options and hates being associated with this dickbag)... Tesla switched from Chrome door handles and camera housings to Black (chrome delete was already by far the most popular aftermarket change, Tesla just started doing it themselves) around the Model Y launch in March 2019. So if you see a Tesla with Chrome handles and camera housings, it predates at least the recent Elon spiral into Fascism fueled by Ketamine™.
His government plundering income is on shaky ground, though, since he's only there at the whims of Trump. Granted, Trump's been willing to bow down to him so far, but it's only been a month and allegiances change often in fashy world.
Serving at the whim of Trump means nothing after Musk has infiltrated and taken control of the payment methods the government use. He can turn on and off the flow of money as he pleases. Trump basically handed him all the power and is going to get bent over the oval office desk for it.
Honestly while none of us can know the full scenerios, IMO I think it's more probable than not that some kind of mutually assured destruction is in place for both of them. IE both have commited enough crimes that, they could destroy eachother.
they will shift from buy/lease to uber/rent. likely priced to destroy competition, and bury the data on crashes and deaths and self-destruction, and the microphones and cameras are all bugged by a fascist regime. at any time it can kidnap you and take you somewhere that nobody but them can know.
TSLA down 7.27 (2.15%) today. I’ll check tomorrow and hope for this to become a trend.
The showrooms are still standing, so I don't think the Yankees are protesting hard enough.
They should call the French.
Considering the number of "the French give up" jokes made by Americans I find it hilarious that Americans won't even try in the first place. I know who the real losers are.
Somebody already shot one up and left a note.
As a current Tesla owner, can I just say that I bought my car long before this man went (fully) off the rails. Selling my car won't hurt him, only myself. Please don't view my car as support for this piece of shit.
May I suggest a bumper sticker indicating you don't support him or the company any longer?
As a current owner that can't financially walk away for another 2 or so months at best, what sticker is best?
I'm also going to replace the emblems that are removable with Luigi logos and add bear resist stickers but...I dunno.
Thing is, any damage done could potentially lengthen the time until I can exit.
Fuck Elon. I hope he gets cancer.
The irony is that it might then be a car with the potential to piss off two groups - the group that thinks the sticker is not really enough (and I'm sure they exist), and those that are pissed that someone shows they don't show enough support for fElon and by proxy, the magats.
Not that I have any answers. I'm just glad I'm not in a similar predicament. I was definitely eyeing Teslas before I knew what a fascist fElon is. Could have happened to nearly anyone, it seems.
He has been since 1999 is the rub.
A lot of people are in your position, and I sympathize. I will readily judge owners of new Tesla vehicles, but owners of older models are plausibly victims just as much as the rest of us.
Easiest of all to spot will be the new generation Model Y coming out this month, which have a unique single light-bar on the front, which looks like the Cybertruck.
Technically the used market value can negatively affect the new market value of a brand. More people selling Tesla at lower price means people looking to buy are more tempted with used than new, and those buying new see the value decrease more off the lot.
Selling my car won't hurt him, only myself.
How would selling your car hurt you? Would you not be able to get a different vehicle?
I get that and it could happen to any brand (CEO has views that people don’t agree with - although this case is extreme).
Look at Bud Light / Nike / etc.
Destroying something you already own isn’t going to affect Elon; it’s going to affect someone that’s just trying to get by.
But if someone else buys used and not new, it still lowers direct sales for Tesla.
Same. I’m definitely one-and-done with my Tesla, but I should be able to get another good 5+ years out of it before I get rid of it.
How old is it? It might be a good idea to ditch it before it becomes an even bigger liability. Teslas don't last over 10 years without dropping large sums of cash into them.
If someone graffittis my 6 year old car, I'm not going to get mad about it. It sucks, but I can't exactly blame them. Rivian R3X can't get here soon enough. But I think I won't be able to wait that long.
so you might have been grifted, but your actions affect other people. your car is a spy mobile that sucks up innocent bystanders' data without their consent. and yeah, maybe do research before supporting a company, like how Cocacola did business with Hitler - but even that ignorant at best $2 purchase doesn't negatively affect everyone else to the extent your car does
If I see anyone driving a Tesla they’re a piece of shit to me. Stop making excuses and get rid of it. If you own a Tesla you’re not struggling, you can take the loss.
You’re probably one of the people who dumped all their Bud Light that they already purchased after the trans can issue.
Or one of the people who burned all their Nike apparel that they already purchased after that one dude kneeled.
Or one of the people who smashed their satellite radio equipment that they already purchased after one of the price hikes.
I say to you: put up or shut up. Either bond out the money so that OP has enough money to buy a compatible EV (INCLUDING charging network) after selling their Tesla or STFU.
I know which one this keyboard warrior is going to pick.
Here's an idea. We take all the money from the nazi CEO and solve world hunger. It's a simple as that lol.
Funny you mentioned that!
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/18/tech/elon-musk-world-hunger-wfp-donation/index.html
That's with only 6 billions. Imagine how we could turn this world upside down simply with a wealth cap. Capitalism has operate such a deep brainwashing to the human kind, to the point were people are willing to let the planet disappear to get a shot a being rich.
Solid plan.
Be sure to share this on Twitter! Keep using his platform, guys!
Tesla is done anyway, they desperately need to cheat with tarrifs and rules to keep moderately competing with the Chinese.
And even then they are of far lesser quality and more expensive.
The billions in subsidies this clown has gotten for his cars he is now getting in bigger quantities as a military contractor.
Starlink and SpaceX are getting massive government contracts.
This can only help some of these protesters conscience, as if they're doing something.
May we also boycott oxygen from entering his lungs - would yield much quicker results
He needs the ultimate flushie, where nobody lets him come back up for air.