The Tesla Titanic? The rival electric vehicle maker readying to cash in on Model 3 and Model Y owners abandoning an Elon Musk-captained ship
Would you buy another brand of EV rather than a Tesla because of Elon Musk’s current behaviour?
If you answered yes to that question, then you’re confirming a theory recently expounded by new Polestar global boss Michael Lohscheller (yep, that’s him above).
You might even hear from a Polestar sales person as a result!
Lohscheller, a German who took over Polestar last October, told the financial news service Bloomberg Musk’s increasing involvement in politics could backfire.
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Musk was a key Donald Trump backer in his successful run for a second presidency and has also vocally supported far right political parties in other countries, notably the AfD in Germany.
“We get a lot of people writing that they don’t like all this,” Lohscheller said.
“It’s important to listen closely to what they say. And I can tell you, a lot of people have very, very negative sentiment.”
Lohscheller told Bloomberg he had instructed Polestar sales people to go after disgruntled owners.
Lohscheller was also unsparing about Musk’s political involvements, especially his backing of the AfD.
“For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing,” said Lohscheller, who was born in Bocholt, North Rhine-Westphalia.
“You want to know what I think about it? I think it’s totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. You just don’t do that. This is pure arrogance, and these things will not work.”
Lohscheller did at least acknowledge Musk’s business skills, describing him as “very successful” and acknowledging he had “done incredible things with Tesla”.
But there’s no doubt about a rising anti-Musk faction among Tesla buyers. The world’s leading EV brand had its first decline in sales in over a decade in 2024, selling a still very healthy 1.79 million vehicles.
In Australia, Tesla sales dipped 16.9 per cent, while the overall EV market rose 4.7 per cent. Tesla still held 42 per cent of the segment.
But with the Model Y Juniper update on the way and cheaper Cybertruck models due in North America this year, the dip could be temporary.
In the Netherlands, a survey showed as many as a third of Tesla owners have sold or are looking to sell their vehicles due to Elon Musk’s antics. In the UK, another survey claimed 60 per cent of respondents said Musk’s behaviour put them off buying a Tesla.
Other owners have put bumper stickers on their Teslas with messages like ‘I bought this before Elon went crazy’.
But whatever downturn Tesla is experiencing right now, it’s in a much better situation than seven-year-old Polestar, which is currently losing US$110 million per month ($176 million) and delivered only 45,000 EVs in 2024 – a 15 per cent drop compared to 2023.
However, the Polestar 3 and 4 SUVS have launched in 2024 and the Polestar 5 saloon, 7 compact SUV, 6 convertible and second-generation 2 are on their way in the coming years.
Sweeping up just a few disgruntled Tesla buyers would clearly be good for Polestar’s business!
Polestar is a Swedish-based publicly listed company controlled by the Chinese automotive giant Geely.
How the faithful have turned like rabid dogs on their ev god
The ‘faithful’ remain ‘fairhful’.
The uninformed remain uninformed.
You’re all stupid. Tesla is Tesla regardless of what Musk does. Quit being such babies. Buy the car because it’s good, not because of what some rich idiot does with his spare time.
That’s not what the sales numbers are showing though. Tesla sales numbers are dropping while the overall market is growing. This scenario of yours where every “woke” buyer that doesn’t buy a Tesla is replaced by at least one “normal” person is not happening.
That’s not a good situation to be in. It would be reasonable to expect market share to drop as more competition and choices become available, but to be selling less cars year on year when the market is growing?
I am buying a Tesla because of Elon’s visionary efforts in manufacturing and technology. His political views are just a bonus. For every woke owner abandoning Tesla’s there’s probs more average ppl buying them.
100% most of us have had a gut-full of all the woke BS anyway. If a person is making a buying decision to spend $50k or more on a car and they base their choice on the CEO’s political opinions and activity ..?!? You’d have to question their IQ seriously flawed individuals. Especially considering the Model Y is the BEST SELLING CAR in the world…!
Seriously. Polstar just need to make the best car they can and people will friggin buy it or not buy it… I am 55 years old and I’ve never ever bought a car based on a CEO’s personality or attitude. Fair dinkum..!
I would suggest that a high percentage of EV buyers are conscious of the effect ICE’s are having on the environment. Apart from Musks warped politics, his alignment with Trump is a contradiction. Trump is very anti ev and green energy.
Perhaps a Tesla with a swastika (similar to the mini’s union jack) will boost sales with his new pals.
That’s great, go and buy a car owned by a Chinese company – CCP but before you do go and read about how great the CCP is and your will think Musk is not so bad after all.
Polestar is a brand under Geely, a CCP run company.
So some folks are opting to support a genocidal dictatorship in order to punish a single autistic memelord that hurt their feelings? Makes perfect ethical sense to me…
Polestar will likely disappear long before Tesla will.
True but not as many as media would like to report.
Some Chinese car manufacturers will of course be successful, many will of them will also dissappear within a few short years.
99.9% of Chinese automakers don’t make a profit, most never will – the Chinese gov’t will also stop subsidising them at some point.
Tesla still has the best selling model of any car ICE or EV in the world which will continue this year.
I ordered a new Model Y I could had bought two Chinese counterparts, the Model Y is still ahead on many measures.
Germans and Swedes self righteous crumb sweeping to build a mountain is actually hilarious, given they sold out to China.
Anyone making the change from Tesla to Polestar based on musk and their own political views would make them a complete idiot.
It’s so hilarious how everybody still thinks that Tesla is a car company. When are you guys gonna realize that the vehicles are simply a byproduct of the technology? It’ll be a decade before any auto maker catches up to the capabilities of Tesla’s full self driving.
Good luck guys!
Tesla full driving?? I think that full driving still needs work. This video is a Tesla vehicle that drove thru a deer with stopping causing 7,000 in damages!
https://youtu.be/H43T6ohqYis?si=3OTLvJtHGZUQvlBj
AI will change self driving dramatically. In just as little as 2 years, FSD will not look nearly as unique in the marketplace.
Consumer reports rated Polestar the worse of all car brands for reliability, gas or electric. Why would anyone buy one?
I own two Telas and have no intention of moving away from Tesla.
I love the cars.
Why make it political?
Yeah exactly, why Elon why?
While polestar maybe a premium brand and geely it’s parent company has been known for quality from a Chinese market prospective. The other Chinese OEMs have leapfrogged them in amlost every metric.
There is a reason every electric car is compared to a Tesla. It is also a funny situation where it seems the public face of the company has turned on the very demographic that buys his products. I think Tesla has been transitioning to an energy company. Most people don’t really choose energy companies even if they have the luxury they just go to what’s the most convenient and use their service.
If I had to choose one company that will benefit from people leaving Tesla it would be BYD. Im not sure what company will benefit most in the North American market where BYD is absent probably a mix of Hyundai/ Kia and the Nissan partnership what ever that looks like. Though it’s possible people will transition towards Toyota style plugin hybrids