“I bought this after Elon went crazy.” We’ve seen plenty of bumper stickers like that, lately, but this one was on the back of a Kia EV3, found in a snarky Instagram post by Kia’s Norwegian subsidiary. And, it seems, many Tesla buyers may be listening. A growing number of them are trading in as backlash grows against CEO Elon Musk’s turn to the political right. Protests are growing at Tesla dealerships around the world, one showroom in France firebombed. Now, Pres. Donald Trump has weighed in, declaring calls to boycott Tesla “illegal.” Here’s more.
Here’s more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was taken by surprise by the Kia post.
Over the past decade, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have been darlings of the Internet. But times are changing. Fast. And while the brand and its chief executive still have their fans, plenty of one-time loyalists have begun turning away as backlash grows to CEO Elon Musk’s political turn to the right and his role as a key lieutenant to Pres. Donald Trump.
Many owners are expressing their frustration in bumper stickers. “I bought this after Elon went crazy,” read one highlighted on Instagram this week. But this particular bumper sticker adorned the back of a new Kia EV3 – part of a snarky messaging campaign from the Korean automaker’s Norwegian subsidiary.
It didn’t last long, the parent company quickly moving to take the post down. But it didn’t have to. It go plenty of attention and has gone viral with print, as well as online publications and even some TV stations using the Instagram post to highlight the growing Tesla backlash. That’s readily apparent as sales plunge in the key European, North American and Chinese markets. Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock price has tumbled nearly 60% since reaching a post-election high in mid-December.
And Kia could come out on top, a growing number of current Tesla owners reportedly trading in for other brands – though resale prices for products like the Models 3 and Y are tumbling as demand plunges.
Meanwhile, Trump is weighing in, promising to buy a Tesla as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk,” while also saying critics are “illegally” boycotting Tesla.
“Elon went crazy”
Musk’s apparent Nazi salute, along with his role with Trump’s DOGE, has triggered widespread opposition.
As Headlight.News has reported on several occasions, many Tesla owners have become vocal in their distaste for Musk’s political radicalization. Bumper stickers declaring “I bought this before Elon went crazy” have become an increasingly common sight on Teslas.
Kia’s Norwegian subsidiary put a slight twist on that message, declaring “I bought this after Elon went crazy,” in a bumper sticker on the back of a new Kia EV3. The downsized crossover is designed to take aim at the affordable EV segment, a niche that Tesla has so far ignored – Musk repeatedly reversing position on whether it will bring out an offering widely called the Model 2.
Not everyone was pleased by the stunt, including a flood of those who still are loyal to Musk and Tesla in comments responding to the post.
Kia headquarters in Seoul, as well as its European headquarters, stepped in, ordering the Norwegian operation to pull the post – but not before it had been copied and widely circulated.
A dozen Teslas were torched at a dealership in France.
Protests, arson, gunshots
The response to the Instagram post underscores the growing criticism facing Musk and the backlash against Tesla.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into an apparent arson fire in the southern French city of Toulouse last week, eight Teslas parked outside the showroom completely destroyed, four others damaged. Four Cybertrucks were burned at a storage facility used by a Seattle dealership.
A Loveland, Colorado Tesla dealership has been hit by repeat arson and vandalism attacks, a statement issued by the Loveland Police Department said. Police have charged Lucy Gray Nelson with at least some of the incidents, alleging she used Molotov cocktails to set fire to the vehicles. A reporter for the Fort Collins Coloradan newspaper also saw the building spray painted with the words “Nazi Car.” That appeared to reference Tesla CEO’s apparent use of the Nazi-style “Sieg Heil” salute during an event last month.
A Molotov cocktail introduced as evidence in a Salem, Oregon case involving arson at a Tesla dealership.
There have been reports of other attacks involving arson, gunfire and vandalism at numerous other Tesla showrooms in the U.S. and abroad. More peaceful protests have become increasingly common outside Tesla dealerships in cities including New York and Chicago — drawing thousands of people in recent days. Signs held by protestors called for Musk to be fired by Tesla, as well as by the White House, the South African-born executive serving as head of Pres. Donald Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
Angel investor Joanne Wilson said she is getting ride of her Model S and is considering the idea of letting members of the public smash it with sledgehammers.
More Tesla News
Trump Weighs In
Musk has become a key player in the new Trump administration.
On Tuesday, Pres. Trump announced plans to purchase a Tesla – even though he hasn’t been known to drive himself in many years. The move, he said, is “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
Trump also took a stand on the growing calls to boycott Tesla products.
“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media site. ”But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”
Owners trade-in – often at a big loss
Resale prices have plunged for used Teslas.
On Tuesday, Pres. Trump announced plans to purchase a Tesla – even though he hasn’t been known to drive himself in many years.
While that may lend moral support it seems unlikely to stem the rising tide of EV buyers who are shifting away from Tesla products. Since the beginning of the year, European automotive officials report sales across the continent have fallen an average 50%. The downturn reached 75% in Germany where Musk injected himself into recent elections by supporting the ultra-right wing AfD party. In China, Tesla sales plunged 49% in February, largely driven by increased competition from domestic manufacturers such as BYD.
U.S. sales were already slumping in 2024, the California Automobile Dealers Association blaming Tesla for a first-ever annual decline in EV sales – the market otherwise up by double-digits when the brand was excluded.
Many existing owners are going beyond just adding bumper stickers. Social media is full of posts by owners who have — or soon will – trade in their Teslas, often for competing EVs or hybrids. Detroiter Bill McGuire, a long-time Tesla fan, said this week he had sold his off and purchased a new Hyundai Elantra.
EVs, in general, tend to have lower residual values than comparable gas models, according to industry data. But tracking site CarGurus reported this week that the average price of a used Tesla is now down to $30,000, about $10,000 less than comparable EVs from other manufacturers. As recently as August 2024, CarGurus reported, used Teslas were averaging $33,000.
Among those who’re walking away from their Teslas, singer Sheryl Crow sold off hers to protest Musk, donating the proceeds to National Public Radio – which Trump is threatening to defund.
Musk reacts
Musk was jumping for joy at this Trump campaign rally. But he is sobering up about the challenges of running his companies right now.
After learning about the Kia stunt, Tesla’s CEO appeared surprised in a post on his social media site X. He has taken virtual shots back at critics and vandals in recent weeks.
On Monday, however, he gave a first indication that his politics – and, in particular, his role with DOGE — may be causing problems.
While Tesla won’t report first quarter sales for several more weeks, the company’s troubles on the stock market have come into full view. Though shares posted a modest rally on Tuesday, pushing above $230, they’re still down by more than half since reaching a mid-December peak of $488.54. Though there are still some bulls, a growing number of analysts are lowering their forecasts and swapping “Buy” ratings for “Hold” and, in a few cases, “Sell” recommendations.
For his part, Musk said running his businesses – including the likes of Tesla, SpaceX and social media site X — is being done “with great difficulty.”
Nonetheless, he indicated, during an appearance on Fox Business, plans to stay on with the Trump administration for at least a year, claiming DOGE is trimming about $4 billion a day in government spending.
As for Tesla’s worsening problems, Musk tweeted on X that “It will be fine long-term.”
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