In California, traditionally a Tesla stronghold, sales declined by 8% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a concerning 12% drop for the entire year.
Tesla is grappling with mounting consumer backlash over CEO Elon Musk’s Nazi-like salute.
In Europe, where Tesla has significant market presence, the response has been particularly fierce.
Outside Barcelona, French artist James Kina installed a provocative red raised arm at a Tesla charging station.
Last month in Germany, activists projected images of Musk’s gesture onto the company’s Gigafactory near Berlin, accompanied by the word “Heil” in reference to the Holocaust’s architect Adolf Hitler.
Authorities have since launched a criminal investigation under the country’s strict laws against Nazi symbolism.
The firestorm kicked off during a post-inauguration celebration at Capital One Arena when Musk thanked MAGA supporters by touching his chest and raising an arm in a Nazi salute-like fashion.
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense of the tech tycoon, Musk didn’t do himself any favors after responding to the criticism with a series of Holocaust-related puns on his social media platform X.
“Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations!” Musk wrote on Thursday. “Some people will Goebbels anything down!” Musk wrote. “Stop Göring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler!” he continued. “Bet you did nazi that coming.”
Tesla can’t afford any more erratic behavior from their boss. According to Bloomberg, the electric vehicle giant is seeing sales plummeting across major global markets for the first time in over a decade.
In California, traditionally a Tesla stronghold, sales declined by 8% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a concerning 12% drop for the entire year.
Even registrations for Tesla’s crown jewel, its Model 3, has fallen by more than a third in the state.
Meanwhile, France has seen a staggering 63% year- decline in Tesla sales last year, and in Sweden and Norway, the company is reporting significant market share losses despite overall strong car sales in the region.
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