Elon Musk has long flirted with rightwing politics, and delights in pushing an image of himself as a contrarian showman. Yet in recent months the billionaire’s political allegiances have started to raise a question for Tesla, the company that he built into the world’s largest electric carmaker: just how far can he go before customers start to abandon his products?
The German pharmacy chain Rossmann was one of the first to put its head above the parapet this week. The family-owned company announced that it would not add to the 34 Teslas in its company fleet because of Musk’s endorsement of Donald Trump for US president.
“Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax,” wrote Raoul Roßmann, a spokesperson for Rossmann. “This attitude is in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to contribute to environmental protection through the production of electric cars.”
Musk’s endorsement of Donald Trump has been followed in recent days by inflammatory posts about the far-right riots in the UK. “Civil war is inevitable,” he posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter that he bought for $44bn in 2022. That prompted condemnation from left and rightwing politicians in the UK. Musk has also engaged with posts by Tommy Robinson, boosting the visibility of the founder of a British far-right group, and on Thursday posted fake news from the co-leader of another, Britain First.
“I love my Tesla,” said a senior executive in the television industry. “It’s a brilliant car to drive and I really like it. The brand was always forward looking and something to be proud of.”
Now though, “you’re clearly aligning with someone with some pretty horrific views” by buying a Tesla, he said. The executive said he has cancelled his order for a new Tesla, which had been placed through a leasing company.
Another former Tesla customer wrote to the company directly to express outrage.