Tesla backlash grows in Bay Area amid Musk's role in Trump White House
Since Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the Trump administration, the effects on his car company have been dramatic, with the stock price significantly down. Tesla vehicles and dealerships have also been the target of vandals.
With the string of vandalism on Teslas and at dealerships across the country, John Stringer, the founder of Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley said he is concerned about the safety of Tesla drivers in the Bay Area.
"At what point should anyone that buys anything be, have their property vandalized? I actually just had a friend up in Idaho, a rock was thrown at his window with his three-year-old kid in the back and the window shattered," John Stringer, who works in tech, told CBS News Bay Area.
He shared that he has owned five Teslas and his latest purchase is the Cybertruck.
Stringer added that his community of Tesla owners and enthusiasts is growing with more than 6,000 members just from the Silicon Valley area.
"Hang out with other enthusiasts but also to really just celebrate sustainability," he said.
Stringer said that the brand has become more polarizing than ever. A recent report showed that Tesla sales in the U.S. have dropped 1% last year compared to 2023, which is the company's first annual sales decline in more than 10 years.
Furthermore, Tesla shares have dropped more than 47% since President Trump took office for his second term.
"I'm not buying my car as an investment, I'm buying to own it for a long time," Stringer said.
He shared that he has been following Musk's work for several years, and has also interviewed the founder twice. Stringer said he also has many friends in the Tesla manufacturing industry, and said they, too, are facing much backlash.
"It's really unfortunate that they're being targeted, they're being berated. Owners are being berated," he said.
CBS News Bay Area spoke with one marketing expert about the economic trend of Tesla since Trump has been inaugurated.
"This is a form of protest. Now, I'm not condoning vandalism, but it's not surprising that the Tesla charging spots or dealerships are becoming focal points where people are expressing their dismay," said Bill Pearce, marketing faculty for UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. "And this is problem when you have government mixed with business, is that these things become intertwined and become bigger."
Pearce added that there has been a decrease in sales and deliveries in Europe, with Germany down 59% and Norway down 80%.
"Primarily driven by the ownership that diversion of tension and negative publicity is going to have a serial long-term decline for the brand. And as a result, you're seeing people lower their expectations and it's being reflected in the stock price," he told CBS News Bay Area.
Pearce also added that when politics and business converge, it can have a significant long-term impact on a company's brand and image.
"The politics in this time, which is very fractured is almost running 180 degrees with what the Tesla brand was built on. And this is too abrupt change for the Tesla fans, and they are saying, 'Look I thought you were this, now you're that, I don't want any part of you.' And that from a business standpoint, is a problem not just in the short term but in the long term. There is going to be an erosion of trust within the brand," he added.
For Stringer, however, he wanted to relay the message that many Tesla owners bought the car for its technological advancements and environmental impact, not necessarily for Elon Musk's opinions or political beliefs.
"One of many reasons to buy a Tesla is to help with climate change and sustainability. And so, every gas car off the road is going to help out the mission," Stringer said.
"Most of my ride is actually enjoying the conversation with you and not having to worry about the stop and go traffic," he added about the vehicle's autonomous driving feature.
He added that in a time of greater political divide, it is important to communicate on both sides of the aisle.
"Voice your opinions, peacefully protest but it needs to be peaceful," Stringer said.
