The internet has been abuzz over a photo of a Tesla bumper sticker that makes fun of CEO Elon Musk, reigniting the old argument about whether or not EV buyers can entirely divorce the brand from Musk, the man.
A photo of a Model Y with a bumper sticker implying that they purchased the Tesla before we knew Elon was crazy was submitted to the “me_irl” subreddit. There were almost a thousand replies to the post. The image has been shared across other Reddit discussions.
It’s unknown who made the purported bumper sticker or how many exist. The photo might have been doctored or created in Photoshop. Regardless, the implication is generating debate.
Avoiding Tesla because of Musk’s contentious reputation has been criticized by some Redditors. Musk’s reputation has changed for the worse in some people’s eyes ever since he bought Twitter.
Musk has gone on several political rants over the previous two years, including an online spat with President Joe Biden, comments disparaging the transgender community, and labeling the Democratic Party “the party of division and hatred.”
One person responded to the bumper sticker by saying that people should cease associating Musk with Tesla, saying he may be the CEO, but he didn’t design and construct the automobile alone.
If you adopt this reasoning, one user said, you’ll have to start reading the morning newspaper to find out what the CEO of Starbucks noted before you purchase your coffee.
‘If I made my purchases based on how much I loved the CEO of the firm that manufactured it, I would have a lot more money and own very less,’ another person said on a thread including the picture.
Meanwhile, other Redditors have said they are hesitant to purchase a Tesla due to Musk.
The sticker looks to be one of several anti-Musk stickers now for sale on Etsy and Amazon; one version of the sticker has already been purchased over a hundred times, according to Amazon.
CNN reported last year that some potential Tesla buyers had pulled out owing to Musk’s political beliefs.
One Tesla owner, thinking about canceling a second purchase, told CNN, “I don’t want Tesla vehicles to become the next MAGA hat.” It’s important that people don’t stereotype me as either a wealthy jerk or a political conservative.
But the numbers don’t lie either. Despite Tesla’s price drops, EV sales have continued to soar, making it clear that the company has a firm grasp on the American market. The automaker set a quarterly delivery high water mark in the previous period.
