Tesla is in a 's***storm', according to one brand expert, as protests spread to the UK
Protests at Tesla dealerships were planned over the weekend, as the backlash against owner Elon Musk spreads across the Atlantic.
The electric vehicle manufacturer has been the subject of boycotts and demonstrations in the US due to Musk’s relationship with US President Donald Trump, to whom he donated a quarter of a billion dollars and has been advising during his second term in the White House.
Protests are planned at dealerships in London and Manchester as part of a series of ‘Tesla Takedown’ demonstrations, which have become common across the US.
As Tesla’s share price plummeted, Trump participated in a publicity stunt for the brand this week, testing out five new vehicles on the White House lawn.
So far this year, Tesla’s stock has dropped 36 per cent, but is still up by 54 per cent overall over the past 12 months.
After calling the cars “beautiful” and remarking that “everything’s computer”, Trump criticised Democrats for trying to “illegally” boycott the company and pledged to buy “a brand-new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
The stunt appeared to be rewarded with a small bump in share price, but experts warned it was unlikely to be able to turn around Tesla’s fortunes as the backlash grew and US economic instability continued over Trump’s trade wars.
Tesla is a symbol of identity
Musk has sparked uproar after blaming Ukraine for a cyberattack on his social media site X, and after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempted to cut support for veterans – though it later backtracked on the plans.
DOGE has been integral to mass, abrupt layoffs across the civil service.
Jonathan A.J. Wilson, Professor of Brand Strategy and Culture at Regent’s University London, said that the reputational damage to Tesla from its association with the White House was more likely to stick because consumers think deeply before investing in a long-term product like a car.
“If you had a brand with what we call low level involvement – something that was cheap and cheerful like a bag of crisps – then it’s not really going to pose a problem. It probably will give you a boost,” he told The i Paper.
“The challenge is that a car is something that says a lot about a person, especially about the environment and what you stand for. It’s a status symbol. Cars are expensive, and it’s not like a frequent purchase.
“There are going to be loads of people that are on the cusp of purchasing that are just going to think, no, because I don’t know where this is going, and do I really want to have a car that’s associated with all of these things? Every time I drive my kids to school, people are going to think that I’m a Maga supporter.”
People protest against Tesla and Elon Musk outside of a Tesla dealership in Palo Alto, California, U.S., March 8, 2025. REUTERS/Laure Andrillon
Protestors against Tesla and Elon Musk outside a Tesla dealership in California (Photo: Laure Andrillon/ Reuters)
Wilson said that brands without such a close tie to one individual person can appeal to a broader range of consumers, “but there’s just one superstar that we associate with Tesla and that is Elon Musk”.
While Tesla is currently in a “s***storm”, Wilson said the brand would be able to “weather the storm” if Musk has enough money and appetite to do so. Musk, who also owns X and SpaceX, is the world’s richest man with a net worth of $379bn (£292bn).
“If you strip away the brand, it’s a product which delivers something. It’s not just a gimmick. So that is something that they can fall back on,” Wilson said.
“Anything could happen; Musk could step down, Tesla could find some ways to disassociate themselves, they could get environmentalists to say, forget message, the car is actually good.”
Tesla’s fortune ‘depends on nature of protests’
Oliver Foster, chief executive of Pagefield public relations consultancy said that Musk, who was a “trailblazer” on green cars, had taken a gamble in aligning himself so closely with Trump, who has previously called electric vehicles a “hoax” – and it appeared that currently this gamble was “not paying off.”
Foster said the extent to which Tesla suffered long term reputational or financial damage from the current protest movement would depend on the direction they took.
“Some of the protests have been of a violent nature with Tesla cars and show rooms being smashed in,” he said. “That might just be very isolated, but if that is the general direction of travel of that protest group, then I fear they’re going to go the same way as [some of the climate activism groups] and switch off the majority.
“At the moment, they have potential to attract mainstream support, because mainstream public opinion certainly in this country and across Europe is now starting to quite seriously question Trump because of the approach to Russia and Ukraine.
“The impact on Tesla also depends how affected Tesla drivers and Tesla owners are. If people fear continuing to own a Tesla, and therefore to buy a Tesla, then it’s going to be quite a quick impact on the business performance.
Trump relationship a ‘double-edged sword’
John Canavan, the lead analyst at economic advisory firm Oxford Economics, previously told The i Paper the company’s relationship with Trump was a “double-edged sword.”
“It does give Elon Musk the ear of the President, and does allow Musk to ensure that some of the things that have helped to support Tesla – like a lot of the government incentives that have been provided to Tesla to to support the share price over the years will continue – but at the same time, it obviously turns off a lot of investors,” he said.
“It turns off a lot of potential car buyers. So it’s really a mixed bag. I do think that the recent price action has had a lot to do with the broader overall direction of the market.”
President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters as they sit in a red Model S Tesla vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
Donald Trump and Elon Musk in a red Model S Tesla (Photo: AP)
Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, of the Government department at the University of Essex, said that Musk “used to be a darling of the environmental movement, and that was one of the reasons people would be buying Tesla.”
But now, his association with Trump means people no longer want to buy the vehicle – and that Maga supporters were unlikely to replace the clientele due to a skepticism of electric vehicles.
‘Takedown Tesla’ movement is growing
An online profile for the ‘Tesla Takedown’ movement accuses Musk of using profit from Tesla to “destroy our democracy”, encouraging people to sell their Teslas and shares in order to “tank” its stock price.
As well as dozens of events in the US and two in the UK, protests are also planned in the Netherlands and Denmark, according to the site.
Earlier this week, two Just Stop Oil activists were arrested after they poured orange liquid over a robot at a Tesla store in west London.
While most protests have been peaceful – and the Tesla Takedown movement says it oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property – some have spilled into violence or damage.
Shots were fired at a Tesla dealership in Oregon and there was a suspected arson attack on a dealership in France, while charging stations have been set alight in Boston.
Tesla dealerships in Australia and New Zealand have also been hit by vandalism, and sales across the two countries were down 35 per cent compared with the same time last year, according to data from Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council.
Last year, several people were injured when hundreds of protesters attempted to storm a Tesla factory in Germany over its planned expansion, which they argued would damage the environment.
Tesla were approached for comment.