Police in the United States are investigating a series of attacks on showrooms, charging stations, and Tesla vehicles. There have also been peaceful protests with demonstrators carrying signs and chanting “Elon Musk has to go” in response to job cuts and federal budget reductions by the Government Efficiency Department (GOGE), led by Musk.
Although the protests have been peaceful, there have also been widespread reports of vandalism. While there have been no reports of injuries, the incidents represent a potential financial problem for Tesla. The company is facing a decline in sales for the first time due to increased competition and the negative backlash regarding Musk’s controversial role in the Trump administration.
On March 3, seven charging stations in a shopping mall outside Boston were set on fire. On Thursday (7), police in the Portland, Oregon area responded to gunfire at a Tesla showroom. Investigators say at least seven shots were fired, damaging three cars and breaking windows.
There have also been numerous complaints about damage to Tesla vehicles on social media. Police in Brookline, Massachusetts, posted a video on X of an individual defending their tagging of a Tesla vehicle as “freedom of expression.”
On Sunday, Musk posted on X: “Sincere thanks to everyone who supports Tesla, despite the many attacks on our stores and offices.”
The attacks risk scaring off potential Tesla buyers who may not oppose Musk’s policies but fear their car will be vandalized.
Tesla has just reported its first annual sales decline in its history, and there are indications that sales may fall again this quarter. While overall electric vehicle sales in Europe increased by 34% in January, Tesla’s sales plummeted by 50%. Tesla’s sales fell by 29% in China—the company’s second-largest market after the United States—in the first two months of the year, according to Reuters.
And Tesla’s sales in the U.S. fell by 16% between December and January, according to an estimate from Cox Automotive.
Weak sales have hurt Tesla’s stock value, which surged 91% after election day, peaking just before Christmas, as investors anticipated that Musk and his electric car company would be major winners in Donald Trump’s second term. But those gains, and more, were wiped out in the following weeks.
Source: CNN