Tesla has a fleet problem. In the last few months, large corporations such as… Sixt
or SAP the electric pioneer’s cars were blacklisted. On Tuesday Rossmann also followed suit. The loss of the drugstore chain as a corporate customer could prove particularly piquant for Elon Musk (53) and Co.: Unlike the others, Rossmann is not removing Tesla from its company car policy for financial reasons.
No, the drugstore chain will boycott Tesla in the future for political reasons. “This decision is based on the incompatibility between the statements of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the values that Tesla represents with its products,” the company said in a statement. In 2018, Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he wanted to help Tesla reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change.
Today, however, Musk “makes no secret of his support of Donald Trump,” explained Rossmann boss Raoul Roßmann (39). “Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax – this stance stands in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to help protect the environment through the production of electric cars.”
From a volume perspective, Tesla can cope with Rossmann’s withdrawal: out of a total of 800 vehicles in the fleet, 34 are from Tesla, the company said when asked. Tesla models that are already in stock will be “continued to be used for reasons of sustainability and resource conservation”. However, when it comes to new orders, Rossmann will “rely on alternative manufacturers and models”.
Sixt and SAP, but also international ones Major customers like Hertz, had already suspended the purchase of new Tesla models a few months ago. However, the background was of an economic nature: Sudden price reductions on new vehicles had caused the residual values of Tesla models to plummet. Large buyers with many Tesla models in their fleets are at risk of significant financial damage.
Sixt and Co. also criticized the high workshop costs for Tesla models and other electric cars. Electric vehicles are considered to require less maintenance than comparable combustion engines. However, if damage occurs, the repair costs for electric cars are often higher.