Art, obsession, and identity
A recent wave of non-violent protests against American electric car maker Tesla has also seen a number of vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations vandalized across North America and Europe. In the wake of these global demonstrations, Tesla stocks have taken a hit, while car sales across the board have plummeted. So, who, or what, is to blame for the downturn in Tesla's fortunes?
Click through the following gallery and find out what's driving the reversal of Tesla car sales.
On March 29, more than 200 nonviolent demonstrations took place at Tesla locations across the United States as part of the "Tesla Takedown" movement.
Organizers called it a "global day of action" and claimed protests occurred in at least 253 cities around the world.
The campaign is urging the public to divest from Tesla by selling their vehicles and shares of Tesla stock. The aim is to denounce Elon Musk, the world's richest man, whose wealth is overwhelmingly linked to his Tesla holdings.
The movement arose in response to Musk's involvement in US President Donald Trump's administration, which includes Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and in the 2025 United States federal mass layoffs.
The electric-vehicle maker has been hit by headline-grabbing protests and vandalism in recent weeks. But as early as March 6, 2024, an arson attack on a high-voltage electricity pylon near the Tesla car gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany, knocked out the power supplying the manufacturing facility.
The attack took place as disgruntled locals and environmental groups staged a demonstration against the expansion of the facility, which is located near Berlin.
This year on March 20, in Ontario, Canada, 80 Teslas were damaged at the Hamilton dealership, making it the largest car vandalism ever reported in Canada against the US company.
Nine days later, protesters covered up Tesla vehicle logos during a Tesla Takedown rally outside a dealership in San Francisco, California.
In Europe, the vandalism has been more sustained. On March 14, activists were suspected of setting alight four parked Tesla cars in Berlin. According to the police, a political motive on the part of the perpetrators could not be ruled out given Elon Musk's earlier endorsement of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party on X.
Also in Germany, several Tesla cars were destroyed by fire outside a dealership in Ottersberg, Lower Saxony, on March 29. Arson again was the likely cause, according to a fire department spokesperson.
On the same day, a fire destroyed a Tesla charging station in Saint-Chamond, central France, allegedly as a result of arson.
And back in Germany on March 31, activists vandalized the facade of a Tesla dealership in Berlin.
All this is bad news for Tesla, Inc and its CEO, Elon Musk. The wave of protests seen around the world are taking place in the wake of the launch in January 2025 of the refreshed Model Y crossover SUV. But Tesla car sales across the board have dipped.
Tesla's European car sales dropped 49% year on year in January and February. This is despite rising registrations of electric vehicles (EVs). In Germany alone, Tesla has seen a plummet in its sales, with a 76% drop in February. This is very likely due to German popular sentiment against Musk's embrace of the far right.
According to data released by the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association (ACEA), new Tesla registrations in the European Union fell to 19,046 in the first two months of 2025 from at least 37,000 in the same period for 2024.
The ACEA also noted that the United States-based EV manufacturer is struggling to maintain an edge over competitors on home turf. And the political controversary surrounding Tesla's CEO is also affecting sales.
US President Donald Trump has sided with his Department of Government Efficiency chief by speaking out against calls for a boycott of Elon Musk's companies and declaring that he would purchase a Tesla vehicle in what he called a "show of confidence and support" for Musk.
Meanwhile, Tesla investors are bracing for a drop in first-quarter deliveries in the US, partly as a backlash against Musk's politics but also because of a weakening demand for the electric vehicle maker's aging lineup.
Tesla, Inc. was co-founded as Tesla Motors, Inc. in 2003 by Martin Eberhard (pictured) and Marc Tarpenning.
Elon Musk became chairman of the board of directors in 2004 and chief executive officer in 2008. He's pictured in the driving seat of Tesla's first car model, the Roadster.
The Roadster was followed by the Model S sedan in 2012. It's regarded as one of the most significant and influential electric cars in the automotive industry.
After updates in 2016 and 2019, the revised Model S was revealed in January 2021.
In November 2019, a concept Cybertruck was unveiled in Los Angeles, California. The vehicle entered production in November 2023 and is only sold in the United States and Canada. Initial sales of the flagship electric pickup were promising, but Tesla recently announced improved financing options in an effort to shift unwanted units.
One year after Tesla, Inc. broke ground on its first overseas plant in Shanghai, the company officially delivered the first batch of 10 made-in-China Model 3 sedans to the Chinese public, in January 2020.
In 2023, Tesla delivered 1.2 million Model Ys, making it the world's best-selling vehicle that year and becoming the first electric vehicle to claim that title.
The US and China were Tesla's biggest EV markets in 2023—654,888 EV sales in the US and 603,304 EVs sold in China. Tesla was the second best-selling EV in China in 2024.
In January 2025, Tesla launched a redesigned version of the Model Y in China. Deliveries commenced in March. According to Reuters, a low-cost version of the Model Y is to be built in Shanghai from 2026.
Meanwhile, Tesla's megapack battery plant opened in Shanghai in February 2025. The huge plant is dedicated to manufacturing the company's energy-storage batteries, known as Megapacks.
Elsewhere in the Asian car market, Japan's EV sales crashed by 33% in 2024, a figure that prompted Tesla to announce it is ending sales of the Model S and Model X in Japan by March 2025. The company cites the lack of right-hand drive configurations and a generally small EV market in Japan for its decision.
Presently, Tesla stocks continue to fall amid investor concerns over Trump's 25% imported vehicle tariff and the threat of a major new trade war.
Due to its largely domestic production and supply chain, analysts believe Tesla's financial performance may not be as affected by the wide-ranging levies that will impact global shipments of both cars and car parts to the United States. But shares of Tesla dropped roughly 4% in premarket trading after the Tesla Takedown protests, and are down 35% so far in 2025.
Sources: (Tesla) (BBC) (Reuters) (NPR) (CNN) (Wired) (InsideEVs) (Popular Mechanics) (ACEA)
See also: The implications of a global trade war involving the US
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LIFESTYLE Automobiles
A recent wave of non-violent protests against American electric car maker Tesla has also seen a number of vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations vandalized across North America and Europe. In the wake of these global demonstrations, Tesla stocks have taken a hit, while car sales across the board have plummeted. So, who, or what, is to blame for the downturn in Tesla's fortunes?
Click through the following gallery and find out what's driving the reversal of Tesla car sales.