- Backlash against Elon Musk and DOGE has hit Tesla, with the brand becoming a target for protests and vandalism.
- Business Insider spoke to four Tesla owners about why they decided to sell their EVs.
- They said Musk's work with DOGE and fear of being harassed were the main reasons for selling.
Things might be tricky for Tesla, but at least it has one new customer — President Donald Trump, who said Tuesday he'd buy a Tesla in a show of support for CEO Elon Musk.
Away from the White House, some longtime Tesla owners have had enough.
Business Insider spoke to four people who recently sold their vehicles in response to Musk's work gutting the federal government with DOGE.
It comes as backlash against Tesla mounts, with showrooms and vehicles becoming targets for protests.
"I sold my Tesla because I found it no longer reflects my values. I was embarrassed to be seen driving it," Scott Oran, a real estate developer who lives near Boston, told Business Insider.
Oran said he was initially drawn to his 2018 Model 3 because of the company's environmental credentials and promise to address the climate crisis "in a constructive manner."
Despite his Model 3 being a "very good car," Musk's work directing government layoffs with DOGE was too much for Oran.
"I saw its sale as a protest against Elon Musk and his work at DOGE. Musk was not elected. He's gutting our American government," he said.
"He's illegally firing federal workers. He's illegally dismantling federal agencies. He's spreading conspiracy theories, and he's empowering extremists. In short, he's sowing chaos and confusion. And I felt that we need to send a message to him and others like him that that is not American democracy," Oran added.
While the majority of car buyers tend to be swayed more by price and performance than politics, Tesla and other EV brands have traditionally appealed to customers who care about environmentalism — the demographic likely to object to Musk's newfound interest in far-right politics.
The second former Tesla owner, who did not want to be named to avoid potential retaliation, said: "What attracted me the most initially was trying to get away from fossil fuels."
While his 2021 Model 3 performance variant had issues including battery and computer problems, he said he was "blown away" by its performance.
The former owner described the controversial gesture Musk made at a Trump inauguration rally as "the straw that broke the camel's back," prompting him to trade in the Tesla late last month at a valuation of $22,000, according to a purchase contract viewed by BI.
"Every tweet that he's written since then has just added more nails to the coffin in my mind," they said.
Protests and harassment
As the backlash to Musk and the widespread government layoffs enacted by DOGE has grown, Tesla has increasingly borne the brunt of public ire.
High-profile owners including singer Sheryl Crow have sold their cars in response to Musk's actions, and a nationwide protest movement, "Tesla Takedown," has staged protests at Tesla showrooms across the country.
Cybertrucks and other Tesla vehicles have also been vandalized, and police in Oregon are investigating after shots were fired at a Tesla showroom.
For some Tesla owners, fear of being harassed has played a part in the decision to sell.
"I've been having instances where drivers would brake-check me or do rolling roadblocks, and I've had a few people flip me off for no apparent reason," said the former Model 3 performance owner.
"This made my decision all more clear — I have a newborn baby and even though I know I could be defensive in my driving, I'm not comfortable having my son in the car and having to deal with the harassment."
Oran said he hadn't experienced any backlash, but had seen Tesla drivers being heckled while attending a peaceful Tesla Takedown protest at a Boston dealership. "I imagined myself being in that situation, and I just wouldn't want to have that happen."
Rivals look to overtake
Tesla's waning fortunes appear to be benefiting its EV rivals.
Two former owners who spoke to BI said they've swapped their Teslas for a Polestar. The Swedish EV brand has been aggressively targeting Tesla customers in recent weeks.
The third former owner, who had a Model Y, said they were initially skeptical about rival vehicles, but were won over by the Polestar 3. "The build quality is fantastic, it drives much better than a Tesla and the interior feels like a real car and not a cheap toy."
Oran, who sold his Tesla for about $18,000 and now drives a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, said: "Although Tesla did create the market for electric vehicles, there are now a number of really good alternatives."
Tesla owners who do decide to sell will find the used car market saturated with pre-owned Model 3s and Ys, with resale values plunging in recent years.
The fourth former owner, who had a Model 3, said his decision to sell was partly motivated by fear that resale values could drop even further due to Musk's conduct.
"I wasn't offended enough by his political behavior to sell the car, but I didn't want the value of my car to be tied to his political behavior," said the owner, who traded in his 2018 Model 3 for about $17,000.
"Elon Musk is getting a lot of flack for his behavior around the government, but this isn't necessarily the bottom. His behavior could get far worse … who's going to buy his car then?" the person, who now owns a Genesis EV, added.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
