Electrifying News for Tesla Owners

Tesla owners are shocked to receive attacks because of anti-Elon-Musk sentiment 

by Josh Nava | March 14, 2025 

CHICAGO- Elon Musk has continued to spark controversy in recent years from doing a nazi salute to his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, despite any flack Musk has received, his actions have started a ripple effect as Tesla owners are now in danger of being victims of vandalism and harassment. 

Some of the people caught in the crossfire are West Coast Tesla owners who have been victims of threats and vandalism for their ownership of a Tesla. Bay Area Tesla owners out of fear of vandalism have resorted to using bumper stickers that decry Musk and his actions to save their vehicles. Other Tesla owners have taken the Tesla emblem off their vehicles and replaced it with other car emblems like Honda, Toyota, and Audi. Whether it is in protest or to avoid vandalism is up in the air. Furthermore, East Bay Tesla owners have received stickers and flyers condemning them as nazis and telling them to sell their cars. 

Students Against Nazi Extremism have taken to putting bricks with flyers that demand Californian Tesla owners sell their cars or have them vandalized for not complying. The group wants Tesla cars to become stigmatized and lose value.  

In Seattle, a Tesla was believed to have been set on fire, and charging stations, and showrooms were defaced and attacked to protest Musk. Protests against Musk occurred in front of Tesla showrooms with many signs labeling Musk a fascist and bashing his business decisions.  

In the Midwest and East Coast, Musk has not escaped the ire of protesters. In New York, Tesla charging stations were set ablaze by Molotov cocktails and dealerships were graffitied. In Chicago, police were deployed to protect the downtown Tesla showroom and set up barricades to deter acts of vandalism and protests.  

Abroad in Germany, anti-Musk sentiment is brewing as Tesla showrooms and stores have been vandalized. Someone projected the word, “Heil” and Elon Musk doing the nazi salute onto the wall of the Berlin Tesla factory. Furthermore, Tesla sales have plummeted in Germany since January and sales have gone down in France and the United Kingdom.  

Protests have gone far beyond Tesla showrooms, and factories as Tesla owners jump ship and sell their Teslas because of Musk’s actions. Singer-songwriter, Sheryl Crow blasted Musk and posted a video of her Tesla being hauled away following Musk’s controversial actions.  

Additionally, a survey conducted by the Dutch current affairs organization, EenVandaag showed that out of the twenty-six thousand Tesla owners polled over thirty-one percent said they considered selling or already sold their Telsa because of Musk’s actions. Forty percent of the owners polled said they were ashamed to drive a Tesla because of Musk. 

On March 2nd, The Guardian ran a story where they interviewed Tesla owners and many expressed disapproval of Musk’s nazi salute. Many of the owners felt ashamed driving a Tesla and did not want to be associated with Musk’s nazi sympathies, this resulted in the interviewed Tesla owners selling their Teslas at a loss. Some Tesla owners have taken advantage of the Tesla attacks as they sold anti-Musk bumper stickers as a way to express themselves and attack Musk. 

However, a problem lies ahead for Tesla owners looking to get rid of their vehicles. Teslas have been depreciating in value at a rapid pace forcing owners to sell their Teslas at a significant loss or leaving some with the regrettable choice of keeping it.  

The used price of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dropped over twenty-five percent from January 2024 to 2025. The depreciation of Teslas has been linked to Musk upping their price during the Covid-19 pandemic followed by significant price slashing in recent years. Furthermore, testing done by Germany on used electric vehicles resulted in the Tesla Model 3 being classified as the least reliable used electric vehicle as the car would fail inspections after three years of use. Further data shared by Sherwood News, shows used Tesla sales have slumped and are no longer the highest-selling electric vehicles on the aftermarket.  

President Trump recently had to endorse Tesla as sales for the electric car have badly slumped and stocks for the company have dropped by over fifty percent. 

However, some Tesla owners have decided to not sell and have tried to defend their choice to have it. Dr. Angela Kenzslowe wrote for Business Insider about why she has a Cybertruck and how it has changed her life. Dr. Kenzlowe brings up how Teslas have been recently stigmatized and how she has been flipped off, given dirty looks, and thumbs down but argues she needs her Tesla for work. Dr. Kenzlowe does psychological evaluations around Arizona and utilizes the self-driving feature, to reduce stress and fatigue as she goes about her day.   

The question if Teslas help offset climate change or are good vehicles seems to be irrelevant to many as the choice to have the electric vehicle has become a sign of supporting Nazism and fascism. Whether Tesla owners deserve sympathy for being unwilling victims because of Musk will vary person-to-person but the fact remains that they are forced to carry the brunt of the consequences while Musk gets off scot-free.