Elon Musk's embrace of Donald Trump and far-right conspiracy theories has sent shockwaves through the Tesla community. Once regarded as an environmental hero and technology pioneer, Musk's actions have left many Tesla owners feeling embarrassed and disillusioned.

The Tesla Backlash - How Musk's Choices Affected Owners

Section 1: The Boom in Anti-Musk Stickers

Since Musk declared his support for Trump and helped propel him to victory in the US presidential election, sales of anti-Musk stickers have seen a significant spike. Matt Hiller, a Hawaii-based aquarium worker, sells a range of such stickers online. "People saw a billionaire supervillain buy his way into the administration and it rubbed them the wrong way," he said. The day after the election was the biggest day ever for sticker sales. Hiller started the sticker range last year after deciding against buying a Tesla due to Musk's actions on X (formerly Twitter). Now, several hundred stickers a day are being sold, primarily to Tesla owners, with texts like "Anti Elon Tesla Club" or "I Bought This Before Elon Went Crazy", and even a picture of Musk in clown makeup with the words "Space Clown". Hiller has had to set aside part of his house to accommodate the growing operation. He devises slogans such as "Elon Ate My Cat", a reference to a debunked falsehood about migrants eating pets in Ohio, which are then sold on Etsy and Amazon. "People are shaken up. It's a relief really to see they are awake," he said of the surging demand.

Section 2: Musk's Reputation Shift Among Liberals

Musk was once considered an environmental hero and technology pioneer by many US liberals after turning Tesla into the most valuable car company in the world while warning about climate change. However, his reputation among electric vehicle-buying liberals took a turn as he used X to trumpet far-right conspiracies, fulminated about the "woke mind virus", and enthusiastically promoted Trump. He even appeared at the president-elect's rallies and funded campaign operations in key battleground states. This shift in his image has left some Tesla owners like Mika Houston, a gymnastics teacher in Las Vegas, horrified. "I thought Elon was progressing our country, but he's turned out to be kind of an evil person. It's scary for someone with that sort of money to be so close to a politician," she said. Houston, who has had a Tesla Model 3 for three years, has bought an "Anti Elon Tesla Club" magnet for her car and is considering selling it.

Section 3: Friends Considering Ditching Teslas

Pamela Perkins, a photographer living in Tesla's heartland of California's Silicon Valley, has a Model Y but is among a group of friends considering ditching their Teslas. "I'm turning 80 in January and thought I'd have a sporty car to race anyone when the light turns green. There was a time I thought Elon Musk was a genius but he went bad very quickly. I remember saying to my husband I should sell this car and send a message, for my own conscience," she said. Many people have asked her if she's going to sell the car. She has a friend who was about to get a Tesla but decided not to because of Musk. "But [Musk] doesn't care about us, he has bigger fish to fry. He wants to colonize Mars," Perkins added.

Section 4: Impact on Tesla's Sales

It's unclear whether this backlash against Musk will hurt Tesla, which remains the dominant electric car company in the US. Sales have struggled somewhat this year, with a 7% drop forecast in the latest quarter compared to the same period in 2023. Analysts attribute this to increased competition from other car makers and a stale Tesla lineup that has little changed apart from the much-hyped Cybertruck. "Tesla isn't the only player in town now and they haven't been aggressive in putting new products out," said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. "Elon is Tesla: his persona definitely has an impact upon the perception of the brand, and he has been polarizing. I don't think we've seen any impacts in sales because of this – yet. I do think this will happen, but it remains to be seen which consumers he attracts and which he loses."

Section 5: Uncertainty with Trump's Policies

Another uncertainty is how Tesla will be affected by policies pursued by Trump. The incoming president has called the shift to electric cars "lunacy", said that supporters of such vehicles should "rot in hell", and vowed to strip away incentives to purchase them. Trump has somewhat tempered his invective against electric vehicles following Musk's endorsement but is still planning to remove a key tax credit for new buyers. For now, there is a windfall for those selling anti-Musk merchandise. Stacey Davis, who started selling Musk bumper stickers a year ago and has a Tesla herself, said she has had an 800% increase in sales of these bumper stickers on Etsy since the election. "Elon started not aligning with what I believe in and he just started being really weird, extra," she said. "At first we're like, OK, he's just one of those eccentric types of people. But then when he went into his political stuff and I was like, oh no, this is not it."With a Trump presidency looming over the US for the next four years, Musk's involvement is a bittersweet prospect for some sellers. "I'd be happy for him to disappear from public discourse and just be another rich guy," Hiller said. "If I never sell another Elon sticker that's fine. I'd rather him just be gone for the country's sake and I can go back to making stickers of fish."