Tesla Faces Slumping Sales, Customer Backlash, and Widespread Vandalism as CEO Musk Throws Himself Into Politics

Elon Musk’s car company Tesla has hit the skids with plummeting sales, a souring consumer base, and even a wave of vandalism at its charging stations and dealerships.Once leading the charge as the top-selling EV in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, Tesla has lost substantial ground. Sales in Sweden dropped 42 percent year-on-year, while Norway and Denmark each saw declines of 48 percent. Even Tesla’s dominance in France has evaporated, with sales dropping 45 percent in the opening months of 2025. “A lot of people start by saying, ‘I want to buy an electric car, but I don’t want it to be a Tesla’… The political consumer has always been there, but it’s more pronounced with Tesla now,” Danish Federation of Motorists chief adviser Ilyas Dogru told Reuters.Preliminary February data from the China Passenger Car Association revealed a 49 percent drop in wholesale numbers, which combine export and retail sales, Reuters reported. Mr. Musk’s active participation in President Trump’s administration and sweeping endorsements of far-right ideologies in Europe have been fueling a backlash in historically loyal markets. Boycotts and protests — like Norway’s “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations — highlight the growing frustration among former Tesla enthusiasts. If sales troubles weren’t enough, Tesla is also grappling with attacks on its infrastructure. A string of arson incidents targeting charging stations in Massachusetts is part of a larger trend of vandalism aimed at Tesla facilities nationwide. Seven Tesla charging stations were destroyed in what officials suspect is an intentional act. Meanwhile, other disturbing incidents linked to Musk’s notoriety have surfaced, including graffiti attacks on Tesla owners’ cars and at Tesla dealerships from Maryland to Colorado. Almost daily Tesla owners post photos of their cars tagged with spray-painted swastikas, and vandals have hit dealerships, emblazoning some vehicles with “No Musk” graffiti.The growing hostility has underscored a tension brewing between Mr. Musk’s increasingly political persona and Tesla’s role as a global electric vehicle leader. Critics claim Mr. Musk’s involvement with Mr. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is harming the company more than helping it. However, not all analysts see Tesla’s current woes as cause for despair. Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas suggested the company’s long-term potential lies far beyond car sales. “While the journey may be volatile and nonlinear, we believe 2025 will be a year where investors will continue to appreciate and value these existing and nascent industries of embodied AI where we believe Tesla has established a material competitive advantage,” he wrote in Barron’s on Monday.

Tesla Faces Slumping Sales, Customer Backlash, and Widespread Vandalism as CEO Musk Throws Himself Into Politics

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