A survey by EenVandaag has revealed that more people in the Netherlands are feeling ashamed about owning a Tesla after the controversial behaviour of Elon Musk. Three out of 10 drivers are looking to sell their cars for that reason.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the richest person in the world, has recently been involved in many controversies. His spreading of disinformation on social media platform X, interference in European politics, and most recently his apparent use of a Nazi salute at an event celebrating Donald Trump’s inauguration have all garnered negative attention worldwide.
EenVandaag conducted a survey of more than 26.000 people in the Netherlands, 432 of which own or lease a Tesla, to see how respondents feel about the brand after Musk’s actions. 31 percent of Tesla drivers said they were considering selling their Teslas or have recently done so, while 40 percent of participants feel what’s being termed as “Tesla shame”. "Musk abuses his power. If I had known what he is like now, I would never have bought a Tesla," said one of the respondents.
Some drivers who do not necessarily want to get rid of their Teslas are planning to put “anti-Musk” stickers on their cars to distance themselves from the billionaire. On the other hand, 51 percent of Tesla owners said that Musk’s behaviour has little to no effect on how they feel about their branded electric cars. "There are also composers who make beautiful music and did bad things, that does not make their music less beautiful," wrote one Tesla driver.
NOS reported that a Tesla showroom located in The Hague was spray-painted with anti-fascist terms, such as “No to Nazis” and “Fuck off, fascist”, as well as swastikas over the weekend. It appears to be targeting the owner of the company after his apparent Hitler salute, though Musk has denied that that is what he was doing.
This is not the first time a Tesla building has been targeted: German activists posted photos and videos on the internet showing the word “Heil” being projected before of the Tesla sign on a factory in Brandenburg. An image of Musk raising his right arm in the banned gesture was also projected underneath.
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