Elon Musk’s recent behaviour could spell disaster for Tesla

Writing anything about Tesla is always a bit of a step into the unknown, because it has such a loyal and vociferous fanbase.

But that status prompted a chat within the Auto Express team about when the actions of a leader start hurting sales, even for the brand that had the UK’s top-selling EV last year.

There’s no question that Elon Musk’s high profile and combative, disruptive nature have played a huge part in making Tesla the most impressive start-up car company in history.

But if aligning himself with Donald Trump, the most divisive leader of any nation in recent Western political history, wasn’t enough, last week’s storm over his ‘Nazi salute’ – whether it was an awkward mistake or a deliberate and incredibly awful attempt to be controversial – must surely have people debating whether they really want to be associated with the company. With Musk subsequently being both unrepentant and publicly critical of those who labelled it a Nazi gesture, we may never know what his thinking was.

In the early days of Tesla, Musk had an almost unquestioning following, but his EVs are now being bought in huge numbers by people all over the world who just want a good car, and don’t necessarily want to be seen to endorse the choices made by its owner, especially with him being so close to Trump. 

Tesla’s win at an industry awards event last week provoked a chorus of boos, which I’d never witnessed before, and public opinion may not be far behind. 

It’s a brand that has always rewritten the rules and succeeded when it looked like it shouldn’t, but it’s now entering a critical period. The Tesla Model 3 was updated in late 2023, and the facelifted Model Y follows this year. But from a European perspective, there’s little else new on the horizon.

As mainstream car makers get better and better at electric cars, Tesla’s advantage is being eroded. And with a limited and ageing model range of two cars in the UK, it may find it increasingly difficult to stay competitive.

But a potential demise for the brand has been forecast for years, and in sales terms, things look healthier than ever. Yet, as always, with the world’s most radical and controversial car company, absolutely anything could happen next. 

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