Would You Buy a Tesla.

Jack Daw

I own a volkswagen so it would bet be a bit rich of me to think buying a tesla was beneath me.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269204#Comment_123269204

Again, entitled to do what they want. If those people were not buying one a year ago then the current antics are irrelevant and they never were buying one.

For every person that says they are not buying one, there seems to be people that are.

There’s whole communities that would have no internet without starlink, holiday villages etc

I know many that have no interest in EV’s in general but praise starlink so they’ve no problem buying a brand associated with Musk.

But anyway, there’s no real way to measure the amount of the virtue signalling lost sales so it’s all just anecdotal data currently.

There’s loads of choice nowadays too. Plenty of other EV’s for those that don’t like Tesla which is very welcome and for that reason alone we’d be seeing Tesla sales dropping and levelling off too.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269233#Comment_123269233

I own a BMW, I’m breathing as sigh of relief here 😂

Baybay

I didn’t buy a Tesla when buying an EV as the comfort level in the cars any time I was in them seemed basic.

I won’t buy one in the future as there is nothing about Musk with which I want to be associated.

Royale with Cheese

I've bought two. Would I buy another one with Musk's current antics? No. Am I getting rid of the one I already own because some people on the internet think I should feel a deep sense of shame every time I get into it? Also no.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269226#Comment_123269226

Depends how strongly you feel about a companies antics or that of their owner?

Silly question. Better to have some values that you believe in, than none.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269252#Comment_123269252

If we had morals on company antics we wouldn’t be using adidas, coke, any of the German car manufacturers, Chinese government controlled products etc etc

Morals are fine aslong as you don’t cherry pick which morals that you want to abide by and run down others that don’t abide by exactly the same as you.

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269235#Comment_123269235

The person I referenced didn't buy in the wake of the election... You also seemed to ignore my point that regions targeted in the trade wars are intentionally targeting US brands, any brand that is heavily associated with the US government is gonna be hit harder.

In terms of Starlink, it's worth noting that Europe is actively concerned that he will cut Ukraine off from it and the likes of Eutelsat stocks have flown up as a direct result. So yep, we probably shouldn't be giving money to the guy threatening NATO membership and is an active threat to Ukraine.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269255#Comment_123269255

I edited the post to read values instead, which was more my point.

It's important to have some. Why not cherry pick? You can't fight everything. It has to be focussed, which means picking certain things.

At the moment, Musk is a net negative in the world. It's very encouraging to see so many people come together to fight him in their own way.

He only cares about money and becoming the world's first trillionaire. That comes at a cost to regular people, so it's great to see people trying to hurt him where it matters, financially.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269243#Comment_123269243

They're rather bland looking in the EV market that have all gone with a kinda funky image. Bably made as well apparently.

Jinglejangle69

This idiot tried interfering in German elections with groups who are openly right wing Nazi sympathizers.

It’s like we learned nothing from the holocaust and WW2.

No one is trying to be edgy and different by not buying a Tesla.

It’s called doing the right thing….

EmmetSpiceland

No, Musk aside, I’ve only heard bad things from anyone, I know, that’s driven one.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269255#Comment_123269255

Morals are personal and individual, so of course people can 'cherry pick' whatever morals they wish to.

I wouldn't buy tesla, but never would so its not really about Musk, but i would now avoid anything that would make him a profit or benefit him

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269302#Comment_123269302

Agree. That’s why I said that morals are fine but don’t run down someone else for not abiding by the exact same morals as you. 👍

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269308#Comment_123269308

I think it's quite okay to point it that someone is supporting a nazi, if they're supporting a nazi.

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269308#Comment_123269308

I wouldn't tend to look down on a person who bought one last year. But I'd definitely be raising my eyebrows over anyone buying ones going forward. They're actively funding a guy responsible for global USAID cuts that is gonna cost lives globally. They're actively funding a guy who makes Nazi salutes and spreads propaganda on a daily basis including via his social media platform. They're actively funding a guy who is constantly threatening European security ATM.

So yep, I absolutely think people should be considering what they're effectively supporting by using any Musk products. Also the likes of JP Morgan do view it to be hitting them.

https://fortune.com/2025/03/13/tesla-fall-from-grace-may-have-no-equal-jpmorgan-elon-musk-donald-trump/

The Continental Op

It was reported on UK radio this morning that these stickers had been seen on Tesla's.

Jack Daw

By the way the biggest reason I'd have for not buying a Tesla is that ridiculous oversized touch screen at the front of the car.

Whoever thought it was a good idea is an idiot.

Surely they've gotten loads of feedback about how incredibly distracting it must be and yet they still persisted with it.It's surely a borderline safety issue considering how distracting it appears to be.

magicbastarder

I don't get this seeming equivalence between buying a Tesla and buying a VW. Are you benefiting Nazis by buying a VW based on the link from 80+ years ago? Of course you're not. But the reason people might choose not to buy a Tesla is current.

Penn

Absolutely not. F*ck Musk.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269358#Comment_123269358

Yes, but Elon Musk is just an obnoxious asshole, there's been no massive atrocities committed due to him.

If you to choose products based on how nice the owner of the company is you'd have a very limited choice in what you buy.

Bill Gates has done even more damage to the world and yet nobody seems to have a problem using Microsoft's products.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269372#Comment_123269372

What? He is not just an obnoxious arsehole though, is he? He's the world's richest man with enormous power as he continues to buy the presidency.

I won't even address your equivalency of Musk and Gates. Gates has done much, much more good for the world. I can't think of a single charitable cause Musk has aided. It would derail the thread far too much.

Jinglejangle69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269372#Comment_123269372

What damage has Gates done to the world?

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269372#Comment_123269372

The USAID cuts that he's responsible for will cost countless lives tbh. Will set things like vaccination programs back as well. On top of that he's threatening NATO membership and Ukrainian access to Starlink. In fact, he intentionally dropped Starlink connections during a Ukrainian military operation last year or the year before that, on top of that he's apparently been in communication with Putin for years. So yep, he might not have committed any atrocities but he's pretty dangerous in terms of what he's doing ATM.

yagan

We're not in a position to buy our first EV at the mo but either later this year or early next year we probably will.

I had been eying up options for a while as when we change a car we tend to hand on to it for years, we had our previous car for a decade and only let it go because the repairs were starting to cost more than it was worth.

Anyhow I've been adding up the pros and cons of various EVs and the one that had been recurring about Tesla was the build quality with the likes of unflush panels and interior panel rattle after a few years, the latter would really bug me.

Anyhow since his drift into fascist politics it's become impossible to consider a Tesla. It's not like an industry that was previously commendeered by a fascist government like so many European brands were in the 20th century, or a private sector brand that we use like Boeing that also made B-52s that carpet bombed rice farmers in Vietnam and other poor people in other countries that the US decided to "help".

If he cuts the price to stimulate sales I wouldn't blame someone for buying one if it became their best affordable EV option, but I reckon new arrivals and greater choice in PHEV will do more to kill off Tesla as a car brand in the long run.

Aside from Musk's politics from a pure car brand point of view prioritising the vainglorious Cybertruck over a compact model for the range was a massive mistake. The Cybertruck's size was always going to restrict it to the North American market whereas a compact EV could have been world seller like the Model Y.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269381#Comment_123269381

Gates charitable causes are just charitable causes in name , they're all about him inflicting some of his mad ideas on the world, also he's bought buckets loads of farmland etc to control food supply around the world, he not doing any of it out of the goodness of his heart it's all about him being able to control politicians , influence decisions.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269398#Comment_123269398

https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/why-are-indians-so-angry-at-bill-gates/

All of gates charitable efforts are about him having control of resources and being able to influence policy.

Because he's not as publicly obnoxious as Musk this slips under the radar.

Montage of Feck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269398#Comment_123269398

Windows Vista

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123269410#Comment_123269410

The USAID cuts are a non issue, there needs to be a massive examination of NGO's, charities that are funded by government money across the world. Throwing billions and billions of dollars at the same problems for decades with no resolution to the issues but thinking we should continue doing this is insane.

I think he's scum , he's stupid about Ukraine and Russia and has his own interest there but It's no more sinister than the likes of BlackRock and Bill Gates having private meetings with Keir Starmer and various other leaders around the world, if you think their meetings are all about doing good for society and not for themselves then I have a bridge to sell you.

PokeHerKing

My morals don't run deep when it comes to economics.

But I can't see myself going electric for a long time, I'm nearly 40 so unsure if I'll ever see the benefit of buying one.