By Brinda Patel
Staff Writer
After Elon Musk voiced his support for President Donald Trump’s administration and far right parties in Europe, Tesla has now become a subject of boycotts and political protests. Musk’s right-wing shift is not sitting well with Tesla shareholders and potential buyers, a majority of whom identify as liberal, according to PBS.
AP News reported that liberal Tesla buyers were once attracted to Musk’s environmentally conscious discussions about how his electric vehicles could help alleviate global fossil-fuel destruction. AP News also reported that many Tesla owners are now pasting bumper stickers on their cars with sayings such as, “I bought it before Elon went nuts.”
Further backlash has recently occurred after Musk worked closely with Trump to cut federal jobs and reduce financial allocations within the Department of Government Efficiency. The Atlantic reported that protestors marched outside all 277 Tesla showrooms and service centers on March 29 in the United States.
Robby Degraff, an analyst for AutoPacific, told The Atlantic, “You’re definitely seeing a lot of people say, ‘You know what? I don’t want to be associated with the trash that’s going on right now around Elon Musk. I’m just going to get rid of my car.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Tesla’s global vehicle deliveries have sunk 13% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. Additionally, General Motors and Kia have released new electric vehicles, further reducing Tesla’s market share as EV sales grow.
Tesla reported a total of 336,681 deliveries globally in the first quarter of 2025. However, the sales are down compared to the 387,000 in the same quarter one year ago. The company will post further financial results for the first quarter on April 22.
In 2024, Bernstein Research analysts told the WSJ that they believe “2025 will be another tough year for Tesla” after global deliveries throughout all of 2024 saw a 1% decrease from the year before.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation published a chart with data from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association’s consumer willingness to buy or lease a Tesla in the future. The chart showcases that 34% are less willing and 13% of people are now more willing. However, this matter had no impact on the remaining 53%.
Specifically, Tesla’s best selling Model Y is struggling due to factors including protests, as well as potential buyers holding off purchases after Tesla announced plans for an updated version later this year, according to PBS.
PBS further detailed that financial analysts have downplayed the backlash of Musk’s “polarizing” political views and are now realizing how much it is damaging the company. At a Wisconsin rally on March 30, Musk acknowledged this fact as well.
“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half.” Tesla shares fell nearly 5.6% on April 2 in early trading within the stock market, Investopedia reported.
When asked by Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow about how he is running Tesla and his other businesses, Musk replied, “With great difficulty.”
