In Europe, sales of Tesla vehicles were down 50.4% year-on-year in January, according to data reported by EV Magazine and other news outlets. The largest declines were recorded in Spain (75.
4%), France (63.4%) and Germany (59.5%).
In Holland, where Tesla registrations hit an 18-month low, NL Times (Netherlands news in English) reported bumper stickers reading“I bought a Tesla, not an Elon” and“Where is the Stop Elon button on this thing?” – as well as swastikas spray-painted on a Tesla dealership building in The Hague. In the Netherlands, EV sales were led by Kia Motors, Volkswagen and Volvo (which is owned by China's Geely) in January. BYD registrations were up sharply in the UK.
Now the blowback has spread to North America, where some 50 anti-Musk/anti-Tesla demonstrations have been reported from the San Francisco Bay Area to Manhattan. Acts and threats of vandalism, including arson and suspected arson at dealerships, have been reported at several locations in the US. Police are investigating a broken window and a fire at a Tesla dealership in my hometown of Salem, Oregon.
The Action Network,“an open platform that empowers individuals and groups to organize for progressive causes” on the Internet, posted an invitation to a“TeslaTakedown” event on February 15, sponsored by Troublemakers of Seattle.“Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines,” it read.“Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk.
Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy.�.