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Alain Roy loved his Teslas. The Montreal-area resident and longtime fan of the brand enjoyed the high-tech features of his Model Y and Model S. But despite appreciating the cars, he can no longer stand driving them.
“It's Musk I don't like,” Roy told Global News.
The Breaking Point
The breaking point for Roy came on President Donald Trump's inauguration day when Elon Musk made a gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi salute. While Musk dismissed the accusations as "dirty tricks," he never outright denied them. For Roy, that was enough.
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"That sign was too much for me. I immediately canceled my Cybertruck order, and both my Teslas are up for sale," he said.
Roy had already been growing uneasy with Musk's political shift. Once a fan, he started distancing himself when Musk joined the Trump administration as the apparent head of the Department of Government Efficiency. He was further alarmed by Musk's comments about Canada potentially becoming the 51st U.S. state and Trump's tariff threats.
And Roy isn't alone. Many Tesla owners, including celebrities, are ditching their vehicles in protest of Musk's political involvement.
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A Growing Tesla Backlash
Sheryl Crow also parted ways with her Tesla, waving goodbye to it in an Instagram video while Andrea Bocelli's Time to Say Goodbye played in the background.
"There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long, Tesla," Crow wrote, adding that she donated the money to NPR to support independent journalism, which she claimed was "under threat by President Musk."
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is already facing challenges in the market, with declining sales in Europe, the U.K., and Australia. Competition from Chinese automakers like BYD is growing, and Musk's political moves are adding another layer of controversy.
A recent Electrifying.com poll found that 59% of prospective buyers were discouraged from purchasing a Tesla because of Musk, while 61% of current EV owners said they would consider a Chinese alternative. A poll in the Netherlands reportedly showed out of 26,000 Tesla drivers, 40% of drivers admitted they felt embarrassed to drive one.