this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2025
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Summary

Tesla's European sales are plummeting, with Germany seeing a 60% drop despite strong EV growth. Similar declines hit Norway, Sweden, and France.

While some blame the Osborne effect—buyers delaying purchases for a refreshed Model Y—Musk’s endorsement of Germany’s far-right AfD may also be repelling customers.

Online backlash has linked Tesla to fascist imagery. In contrast, UK sales fell only 7.8%, suggesting political factors play a role.

With strong domestic EV competition in Europe, Tesla’s reputation crisis could further hurt demand.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

If I ever see a fucking Cybertruck here, I'm moving to Antarctica.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

I must say congratulations to Mr. Musk on finally finding that one special picture that will live on in the history books. You wanted to be remembered, and you are well on your way to having the name “Elon” be right up there with “Adolf” when people are choosing names for their children.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

I bet someday we (the younger side of Lemmy) will be helping our kids with history homework and get jumpscared by this pic.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 14 hours ago

Elon Shitler has a nice ring to it. #PresidentElon please use this hashtag in all your sm post. We need to sew divide wherever we can and baby Trump really cares about shit like this. ✊🏻

[–] [email protected] 3 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

I kind of think this was intentional, because the picture everyone used before this was the dorky one of him jumping at the Trump rally. I'm sure he prefers this one.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

I wasn’t thinking of it that way, but you are probably right.

I was thinking he can’t have real immortality so he settled on being as memorable as possible. But in his twisted conservative mind, maybe this is him wanting to be remembered as a hardass rather than an [insert slur for gay men].

[–] [email protected] 5 points 13 hours ago

Hopefully, the Tesla nose dive spreads to his other businesses.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

The thing is that the far right in Germany is nowhere near as popular as the Republicans in the US. And the intersection of Tesla buyers and far right voters is very small. Musk made a grave mistake in the marketing department here.

Comparable to endorsing Jill Stein in the US as company for small arms.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

when i see someone drive tesla, i feel like i should show my disapproval somehow. But i dont know how to do that in such way the message is understood without making the other one defensive since that would just make the problem worse.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 21 hours ago

Not sure if it's just the promotion of the far-right parties.

For me at the latest after his "Heil Hitler" salute I'd be completely ashamed driving that car.

Might be interesting to see the exact daily timeline of the sales, if it collapsed after the 20th january.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

IIRC this fact also had to do with a German government subsidizing EVs that ended late last year, I could be wrong to. Any German that can help clear this up?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 13 hours ago

Iirc, the subsidy was ~7000€. When the subsidy ended, car prices dropped by roughly 5000€. Meaning, there was a gift for the manufacturers and nothing changed. Of course, you can't brag about your 40k car anymore because it's only 35k now. And other smaller effects like the ads are different now.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 21 hours ago

Swatzicar!!!!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oo I hope this starts a wave of catchy mockery towards everything he touches and everything like him, like:

Go fash, stonks crash.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago

Fuck around and find out is his new M.O.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 17 hours ago

Great!!😀

[–] meowmeowbeanz 45 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Musk’s clown car of leadership finally careens into reality. When your CEO’s political acumen involves cosplaying as a far-right edgelord, even Europe’s EV adopters—historically tolerant of overpriced gadgets—start side-eyeing the brand. Tesla’s not a car company anymore; it’s a vanity project for a man who thinks “free speech” means platforming Nazis.

Meanwhile, European automakers are quietly eating Tesla’s lunch with actual innovation, not just empty hype. Musk’s fanbase? A shrinking cult of tech bros and crypto gamblers. The rest of us? We’ve moved on to cars that don’t come with a side of embarrassing billionaire tantrums.

Democracy’s broken? Sure. But watching Musk torch his own empire? Chef’s kiss.

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[–] [email protected] 151 points 1 day ago (12 children)

weird. i guess some people just arent interested in driving Swasticars

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You couldn’t pay me to drive one

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (9 children)

Dude every single time one of my uber/lyft drivers picks me up in a Tesla, I alwats have some kind of issue. The door handles fail to extend to let me get in (what problem was this design even solving?), when I’m inside the way to open the door is so counter-intuitive even after doing it a few times it still takes me way too long to get it open (dumbest design ever…it’s just a button?), the seatbelt buckle doesn’t click, etc.. Cheap fuckin construction.

Just terrible, stupid, designs. Add in the fascist bullshit? Fucking forget it. This asshole is ruining a good chance to cut down on emissions by being the face of EVs

[–] [email protected] 3 points 19 hours ago

This asshole is ruining a good chance to cut down on emissions by being the face of EVs

maybe that was the plan

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[–] [email protected] 70 points 1 day ago (14 children)

It is fascinating how little this correlates to the Tesla stock price. It has dropped a bit, down 8.4% in the last month, but it still up 80.8% over the last 6 months. I´m curious what kind of business model the shareholders is expecting from Tesla that does not involve selling cars.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 21 hours ago

I imagine that the federal government will be buying Teslas by the shipload

The army will be replacing humvees with cybertrucks.

Tesla will announce a CyberTank to replace the M1

i'm only sort of joking

[–] Grandwolf319 32 points 1 day ago

Judging on the fact that it jumped up after election day, investors are expecting corporate nepotism to boost profits.

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