An entrepreneurial endeavour capitalizing on dissent among Tesla enthusiasts by selling anti-Elon Musk bumper stickers sheds light on the growing disconnect between the company’s CEO and its devoted customer base.
As Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter drew to a close, numerous erstwhile enthusiasts and Tesla proprietors reacted with ire towards the CEO and his corporation.
While some analysts argue that this factor is negatively impacting Tesla’s performance, substantiating these claims proves challenging, making it equally difficult to accurately gauge the extent of its impact.
Some Tesla homeowners claim they won’t buy another one, while others plan to sell theirs.
While some enthusiastic Tesla owners choose to take matters into their own hands by performing routine maintenance on their vehicles, others prefer to express their independence from Elon Musk’s vision by adorning their cars with distinctive bumper stickers.
The Guardian spoke with Matt Hiller, the owner of an online storefront specialising in anti-Elon Musk bumper stickers, who maintains that his business is thriving, moving hundreds of these decals daily.
After reconsidering his decision to purchase a Tesla due to Elon Musk’s perceived amplification of harmful individuals and silencing of others on X (formerly Twitter), Hiller opted for the sticker variant in the final year. Hundred-plus stickers daily are sold, mainly to Tesla enthusiasts, according to Hiller, featuring messages like “Anti-Elon Tesla Membership” or “I Bought This Before Elon Went Crazy”, and even a depiction of Musk in clown makeup, accompanied by the phrase “Space Clown”.
While the existence of an enterprise model supporting anti-Elon bumper stickers highlights the issue’s significance, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon warrants serious consideration.
While The Guardian has spoken to several Tesla owners, their testimonies are anecdotal, with some expressing frustration with Elon Musk and considering selling their vehicles.
Despite Musk’s previous comments suggesting his latest antics were harming Tesla, he has now disputed this claim, stating that the company is currently experiencing record-breaking sales figures.
Despite the likelihood of Tesla recording document gross sales this quarter, it’s worth noting that deliveries have been down year-to-date compared to the previous year – a first for the company in over a decade. Meanwhile, Tesla has significantly reduced its costs and offered unprecedentedly generous gross sales incentives.
Electrek’s Take
While it’s undeniable that this poses a significant drawback, determining its magnitude remains a challenge. While some owners have reportedly abandoned their Teslas in response to Elon Musk’s controversies, others remain loyal to the brand; surprisingly, many enthusiasts are merely vocal about their dissatisfaction.
I believe that the impact will likely be prolonged in its effects over time. It’s unusual that many people wouldn’t endorse their cars because they dislike the CEO’s actions, even if it means buying into an election for a candidate who contradicts several core values the company was founded upon?
Despite this, I think a significant number of them will decide against buying another one when the time comes. The impact is longer lasting.
I’m skeptical that the Trump-Musk partnership will improve. For enthusiasts of Elon Musk who still manage to support him, it seems that they believe his “tremendous genius-level intelligence” will somehow enable him to salvage the US government under President Trump – an assertion that strikes me as utterly absurd?
The rumour has been circulating that the circus will soon arrive in our city, bringing with it a whirlwind of excitement and potential pandemonium. I would require them to have the most effective solutions, assuming they possess good intentions for the US, which is a dubious assumption. The notion persists within me that they’re endeavouring to mould America into a system akin to a post-Soviet Russian oligarchy, where select individuals wield disproportionate influence and power. I hope I’m flawed.
