--- title: "Tesla Owners Now Disgusted By Elon Musk" description: "Tesla drivers now say they can no longer enjoy owning their cars because of the automaker's CEO Elon Musk." date: "2025-02-28" modified: "2025-02-28" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/tesla-buyer-disgusted-elon-musk" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" --- # Tesla Owners Now Disgusted By Elon Musk ![Tesla drivers now say they can no longer enjoy owning their cars because of the automaker's CEO Elon Musk.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Elon Musk has long been the linchpin of Tesla's appeal, commanding unbelievable hype that has elevated the automaker to a [stellar ]()[valuation]() while making it a household name. But as Musk unravels amidst his active role in far-right politics, his deteriorating public image is beginning to have the opposite effect on Tesla's brand. And you don't have to look much further than his own customers. "The pride and the good feeling I had driving in it is gone for me," Tae Helton, the owner of a Tesla Model 3 who lives near the automaker's factory in Fremont, California, [told *Bloomberg*](). The tipping point for Helton, a political moderate, was when Musk [performed a Nazi salute]() at president Donald Trump's inauguration celebration. Before that went down, he was considering getting a second Tesla for his family. Now, Helton plans to pay off his car loan early and trade in the vehicle, per *Bloomberg*. Souring sentiments like Helton's come as Tesla [sales plunge worldwide](), and [in Europe especially](), where he has inflamed public opinion by backing far-right factions [like Germany's AfD party](), leading to [protests, acts of vandalism](), and [political stunts decrying Musk's flirting with Nazism](). In January, the number of Tesla vehicles sold in the continent nosedived by 45 percent compared to the same period last year, down to a meager 9,945 sales, according to [new data]() from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. The trend continues what was a [rough year for Tesla globally in 2024](), in which its total automotive revenue — the money made by selling vehicles, basically — [declined by over $5 billion](), with its profits falling by a staggering 71 percent. "Tesla's biggest challenge in 2025 isn't technology — it's perception," Jacob Falkencrone, global head of investment strategy at Danish bank Saxo, told *Bloomberg*. "Elon Musk's political baggage is now weighing on sales, brand loyalty and investor confidence." Stateside, Musk's role in the Trump administration, ruthlessly [cutting federal spending]() through his [so-called Department of Government Efficiency](), has led to demonstrations and, more pervasively, countless Tesla [cars getting trashed by disgruntled citizens](). "I couldn't handle what Elon Musk was doing anymore," San Francisco bay resident Eric Thurber, who bought a Model 3 in 2021, told *Bloomberg*. Thurber said he sold his car at a hefty loss following the inauguration, buying another EV, the BMW i4 sedan. Helton, the other Model 3 owner, also turned to one of Tesla's competitors, purchasing a Hyundai Ioniq 5. And if once enthusiastic customers are turning up their noses, you can bet that potential ones are going to start looking elsewhere, too — like one Micah Barber, a college professor in Austin who wants to make the switch to EVs, and who once admired Tesla's accomplishments. The stink of Musk, though, has proved too powerful of a deterrent. "He's become one of the most dangerous people in our country," Barber told *Bloomberg* at a demonstration outside a Tesla showroom in Austin. **More on Tesla:** *[There's Something Very Sketchy Going on With the Government Trying to Buy $400 Million in Armored Teslas]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()