Elon Musk has long been credited with the conversion of Tesla into an innovation lighthouse, the visionary who pushed the world into a time of electricity. But his transparency in politics – in particular his alignment with President Trump and the activities of the federal government – has taken Tesla in uncertainty.
For many Tesla buyers, the brand has lost its progressive glow. And while Musk has long been Tesla’s face, this link has taken a negative turn, as the billionaire oversees mass redundancies and elimination of federal programs through the government’s department.
The frustrating traditions of the first trimester of Tesla show how much the brand has fallen familiar with. The company reported 336,681 deliveries in the first three months of 2025, from 495,570 in the quarter 2024 and 386,810 in the first quarter of last year. This is from the back of an impressive 2024, which saw fewer traditions than last year amid delays and increased EV competition.
For many, Musk’s political activities have turned into Tesla into a symbolic par. Tesla transactions have hit a record, and sales in Europe have declined. Foreign leaders are asking for boycott and the price of the automotive shares has lost about half of its value in December. All the time, protesters continue to assemble outside the Tesla Showrooms, delegations and even charging stations in an effort to accelerate the devaluation of the automotive brand and with it, they hope, the wealth of Musk.
“They have a certain important public image problem that is really something we haven’t seen before in this industry,” said Sean Tucker, head of Kelley Blue Book, at TechCrunch.
Even one of Tesla’s most unshakable bulls, Dan Ives, asked Musk to focus less on politics and more on his business “or unfortunately the darkest moments are ahead of Tesla”.
To combat the impact this may have on Tesla, Musk has and will probably continue to lean on his sales that Tesla is not an automotive industry, it is an AI company that will someday market autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.
The question now is whether the Tesla brand can recover or not.
Below are the moments that TechCrunch will continue to update, which shape the perception of the Tesla brand and may have a constant effect on its future.
A Maga hat on wheels
While recent studies have found that Musk’s political slopes have lost its customers in what has historically been the base of Tesla – the Democrats – its shift has gathered the road with Republicans. A study Of the researchers at the University of Northeast University, the University of Columbia and the University of Iowa found that the possibility of Republicans to buy a Tesla increased from 7% before Musk’s approval in Trump at 10.2%.
This feeling can only be increased within the mutual approval of Musk and Tesla, including free commercial at the White House on March 11th.
‘Hang your stock“
In a makeshift, glitchy, Livestreamed Tesla All Hands presentation on the night of March 20, Musk told the employees and investors to “hang [their] Stock “Despite the fact that” like Armageddon “.
“It is very difficult for the people in the stock market, especially those who appear in the mirror, who are most people, to imagine a future where a sudden fleet of 10 million vehicles has five to 10 times the utility,” Musk said, referring to the most widely expanded software.
He informed the employees to coordinate the noise and to focus on the building of Cybercab, which would be the new priority. Cybercab is a two -seater robot with a steering wheel or pedal. Today’s federal regulations do not allow the mass production of such vehicles because they do not have human controls, but Musk marked the intention to modify these rules.
He noted that the process of manufacturing cybercab would be a achievement of engineering, a “high -speed electronic consumer line” that will “move so quickly that … it would be able to produce a car, after all, less than five seconds”.
During the call, Musk also promised to produce about 5,000 Optimus robots this year, which he believes will be Tesla’s most valuable advantage.
‘Moment of truth“
On the same day as his sudden hands, Tesla Bull Dan Ives wrote in a note that Musk’s involvement in Doge led to a “time of crisis for the Tornado signal for Musk and Tesla”.
“If you agree or disagree with Doge, he loses the point that with Musk spending 110% of his time with Doge (and not as CEO Tesla) since President Trump returned to the White House, this was essentially transformed into Tesla into a political symbol … and that is bad,” Ives wrote.
Molotov cocktail and vandalism
Tesla exhibition halls, charging stations, facilities and even private vehicles have been affected by attacks. In some cases, the damage is minimal – some spray paint and a locked car. In others, violence has followed. Representatives have been hit by Molotov bullets and cocktails and the charging stations have been set on fire.
Musk replied from reflection Because someone would like to hurt Tesla.
Trump’s response was more intense. He has stated that any acts of violence-which could include injection painting-would be treated by the federal government as domestic terrorism.
“I am looking forward to watching the sick terrorists taking 20 years in prison for what they do for Elon Musk and Tesla. Trump told the social media platform, the truth social.
From the time of this writing, the Ministry of Justice has brought charges against three people who are alleged to be responsible for the violent destruction of Tesla real estate.
Tesla takedowns
Peaceful protests have also broke out all over the country as part of the so -called Tesla Takedown movement.
The purpose of the movement is to hit the musk where it hurts – its wallet and the source of its wealth and power. Demonstrators appear in Tesla dealerships and showrooms to try to discourage people from the Tesla car market. Their aim is to encourage Tesla owners to market their vehicles and Tesla shareholders to sell their shares.
Despite these protests they are peaceful, we begin to see the principle of violent anti-protection-like the Florida man who Drove his SUV to a crowd of protesters outside a Palm Beach Tesla dealership in March.
By correlating with proud boys
Thousands of people participated in Tesla Takedown protests over the last weekend in March in exhibitions across the country. The crowds drew small anti-protection numbers in some areas that Wired reports They were mostly popular by Maga supporters. Among them were far -right extremists, including members of proud boys and armed militia.
The “Roman“ greeting
While talking to a rally celebrating Trump’s inauguration in January, Musk did what many have realized that they are not one but two, Salute.
The damage was reinforced only within Musk’s voice support for the far -right German political party AfD, as well as the story of Sharing anti -Semitic suspension.
Shortly after the greeting incident, activists A picture is displayed of Musk that makes the greeting, along with the word “Heil”, at Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory.
Fall in European sales
A recent survey of 100,000 Germans found 94% would never buy a teslaand sales data supports this.
Germany is the home of one of Tesla’s Gigafactories and traditionally one of the largest markets in the automotive industry. But in February 2025, Tesla sales in the country fell 76% to just 1,429 sales for the month, compared to 6,038 in February 2024.
Tesla’s sales have fallen at a similar aggressive pace throughout Europe. In February, Tesla’s enrollments across Epirus decreased by 44% on an annual basis, after a 45% reduction in January.
Byd discoveries
One of Tesla’s biggest competitors, China’s BYD, has achieved significant discoveries in charge. The car industry said this week that its new cars can be charged in five minutes, which would give him a huge competitive advantage over Tesla and even any other EV manufacturer.
China is one of Tesla’s largest markets, but BYD continues to intimidate the car industry in her home. Byd has recently introduced the advanced aid system of “Eye’s Eye”-the Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD-which will not be installed at no extra cost across the EV series, including Ultra-PLIC $ 9,600 Seagull Hatchback.
Byd continues to impress consumers with the high -tech area of the UN and hybrids and again has surpassed Tesla for revenue. In 2024, BYD reported revenue of $ 107 billion compared to Tesla’s $ 97.7 billion.
The aging series and Cybertruck recalls
Tesla has faded with an aging for years. Cybertruck was intended to be the next big automotive bet that will prove to be still capable of delivering innovative new models. And indeed, the truck was popular with American buyers.
Still, Tesla has issued eight recollections on Cybertruck since the vehicle began in November 2023. More recently, Tesla had to recall 46,000 Cybertrucks due to an external steel frame on the side of the windshield that looks like a super glue and could just peel.
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