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Scrolling through the Washington Post this week, I came upon a opinion piece by Matt Bai. He wrote that as Elon Musk lurches further and further toward the lunatic fringe on the political right — a few days ago he was positively giddy while on stage with Donald Trump in Pennsylvania — many Tesla owners are coming to regret buying their cars. If you go to Amazon, you can find a selection of bumper stickers with messages like “I bought this before Elon went crazy,” “Shut Up, Elon, “Anti-Elon Tesla Club,” and a few that we can’t print here because this is a family friendly place.
Bai writes that many Tesla owners bought their cars in large part because they felt they were having a positive impact on the world. Here was a way to actually do something about carbon emissions, even if it meant a little extra inconvenience on road trips. Even when Musk decided to waste a chunk of his fortune on buying Twitter, so that he could restore accounts belonging to right wing dissemblers such as Donald Trump and Alex Jones, Tesla lovers managed to feel pretty good about themselves.
Since then, however, Musk has gone full MAGA. Among the highlights: he has endorsed the antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, wondered why no one tries to assassinate the Democratic nominee for president, and pledged to give Trump’s campaign $45 million a month (although he seems to have hedged). This past weekend, Musk showed up at a Trump rally and reiterated his belief that the country and its Constitution could not continue to exist if Trump weren’t reelected.
Among Bai’s friends who drive a Tesla, Musk’s name comes up a lot in conversation, like an embarrassing skin condition you wish you could ignore, he says. Some manage to compartmentalize their feelings. A neighbor he sees at the dog park rails against Trump voters, but raves about his Model S. One woman he knows recently bought a Tesla Model 3, but knocked on doors for Harris twice last month.
Has Tesla Lost Its Allure?
Bai says he is now in the market for an electric car himself, and like many others, is conflicted about whether to get a Tesla. He has some advice for others in a similar position.
“If you already drive a Tesla, and someone gives you a hard time about it, tell them to keep it to themselves, or maybe just drive the car over their azaleas. We buy all kinds of things from companies whose owners would probably appall us if we had them over for dinner. Volvos are made by a Chinese company; I’m not sure how buying one of those is a statement for democratic values, either. If you’re thinking about trading in your Tesla for something less offensive to your values, or everybody else’s, I’d say don’t bother. You’ve already paid for the car; selling it to someone else won’t help or hurt Musk or his quarterly goals.
“But if you are deciding whether to buy a Tesla, and you care about basic democratic values, then I think the choice is simple — don’t. I don’t care how cool it is that the car can pick up your grocery bags while you wait at the curb. Musk has made it clear that he isn’t just another self-satisfied entrepreneur with some ignorant ideas. He is the richest man on the planet and a malevolent force in society — someone who not only supports the ugliest kind of nativism and nationalist paranoia, but is apparently bent on using his power to manipulate political dialogue and magnify damaging lies. I don’t know if his end goal is to create a more culturally homogeneous country, or whether he’s just making a cynical play to protect his business interests, but either makes him plenty dangerous. If hate has no home in our communities, then neither does that brand new Tesla.”
A Matter Of Opinion
Bai’s opinion is just that — an opinion. But his piece has gotten almost 3000 comments so far. Here is one I found rational and cogent:
“Let’s be clear: Tesla makes great cars. It is Elon that is breaking down and should be subject to a recall. And his fall is all the more tragic because, prior to 2022 he represented the move away from fossil fuels and towards ecological energy supplies. The company’s integration of solar panels and home storage batteries has made people much less reliant on the existing grid- which is still powered by coal, oil, and natural gas. The cars (and huge semi’s) led the way to fossil fuel free driving and delivery vehicles, and have given people the option of avoiding the internal combustion engine which is a major contributor to climate change.
“That said, Musk (like his new friend Trump) is now doing acute damage to our country. He is given up his principles and is supporting the party of gas and oil. He promised to give $45 million a month to Trump’s campaign. He encourages hate and lies and conspiracy theories on X. He seems to be on drugs.
“I have been an active Tesla supporter for years, but no longer. I have the bumper sticker mentioned in the article, and I no longer recommend Tesla products to anyone (although, to be honest, most of my friends would not be caught dead buying a Tesla at this point). Power corrupts even those who start with the best intentions.”
Others suggested the Tesla board has egregiously failed to do its duty by letting Musk run amok and actually do damage to the company’s main goal — selling electric cars. You might want to browse the comments yourself. There are quite a few that are cogent and insightful.
The Takeaway
Here’s my personal take on this, which is worth precisely what you paid for it. A few days ago, I returned to my primary home after three months in New England. My Tesla Model Y sat parked in the garage while I was away. When I went to get in it, it no longer recognized my cell phone and I had to use my Tesla key card to access the car. I called the Tesla help-line and a very courteous representative helped me reset my phone key.
Shortly thereafter, I got a survey from Tesla asking me about my service experience. I praised the representative who helped me to the skies. Then came the last question: “How likely are you to recommend Tesla?” On a scale of 0 to 10, I choose zero. I am quite happy with my car, but cannot in good conscience recommend buying one to anyone else — not with this fascist serial sperm donor and drug addict in charge.
Many years ago, people all around the world waited hours in the rain and the snow to be one of the first to order a Model 3. Tesla fever was in the air. You could almost feel the energy in the air everywhere. But under Elon’s guidance, that enthusiasm has dissipated. Tesla is now just another car company, one that is actually trailing several other electric car manufacturers when it comes to making cars people want at prices they can afford.
Musk is clearly bored with Tesla the car company, and is now fixated on censoring the opinions of anyone who doesn’t agree with him. He has to keep moving fast and breaking things or he is just not interested. That lack of interest is damaging the brand and doing a disservice to those who supported his original dream of showing the world how to transition to fossil fuel free transportation. It is with deep sadness that I say I can no longer recommend that anyone should do business with this man.
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