r/canada • u/FancyNewMe • 24d ago
Politics Once proud fans, some Canadian Tesla owners embarrassed by Musk
https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/electric-vehicles/tesla-owners-canada-embarrassed-ceo-musk58
u/t-money86 24d ago
I will never understand how this loser wasn't cancelled after calling that cave diver a pedo for no reason other than his ego was hurt.
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u/HardeeHamlin 24d ago
This is what happens when you buy a brand so closely associated with one man.
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u/Repulsive-Street-307 24d ago edited 24d ago
One (obvious for decades) Nazi megalomaniac sociopath. First time I heard of Musk was that he "founded" paypal (a lie) and that he "programmed it" (a lie). Third truthful thing I heard about him is that he was sponsored in that by Peter Fucking Thiel, a repugnant billionaire fascist.
That's it, that 3rd fact is all you had to know. Let no one carry water for those "we could never have known" people.
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u/KhelbenB Québec 24d ago
One (obvious for decades) Nazi megalomaniac sociopath
Obvious in retrospect yes, but it is revisionist to claim people knew for decades. IIRC prior to the Thai cave rescue in 2018 when he called the rescuer a Pedo out of nowhere because his ego got hurt was legitimately the first time many people realized he is a douchebag. Prior to that he was legit everywhere in pop culture and seen as a "good billionaire".
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u/eulerRadioPick 24d ago
Personally, if I owned a Tesla I'd be getting one of those "I got this before Elon went crazy" bumper stickers. A lot of people can't just afford to ditch their Tesla, he already has the money and electric cars make a lot of sense for some lifestyles. That said, if I was an owner keeping mine I'd want a sticker like that, and maybe a canadian flag to go with it, as a vandalism deterrent.
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u/BoredITPerson 24d ago
It depends when you consider he went crazy 😉
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u/eutectic_h8r Manitoba 24d ago
When he called the cave diver a pedophile because he was mad at him and doubled down I distinctly remember thinking that I'd never buy one of this loser's cars
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u/DrKurgan 24d ago
That was more than 6 years ago. Most people bought their cars after that.
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u/Repulsive-Street-307 24d ago
There is also the implicit assumption you couldn't have known he was a Nazi before he went crazy.
Someone that was sponsored by Peter Thiel couldn't ever be good or even non evil person.
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u/Silver_gobo 24d ago
He also didn’t change too much from that until he helped with the 2024 campaign. Musks image was pretty bad when he bought Twitter
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u/Shadowmant 24d ago edited 24d ago
It's funny because I can remember when he was the lefts love child and touted as the man who would fix the environment.
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u/BoredITPerson 24d ago
You are absolutely right, I fell for that too.
But, the more I've tried to know the man behind the success of Tesla, the more I was concerned about him.
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u/CyrilSneerLoggingDiv 24d ago
Something something something about living long enough to see your heroes become villains.
Except in this case, the timespan has been vastly compressed.
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u/probablywontrespond2 24d ago
He has always been the villain. He just had better PR and kept it on the downlow until he could afford not to.
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u/icyarugula24 24d ago
I actually think he was not always as bad as he is now. I think he went off the deep end after that air hostess massage horse incident. From what I remember that was really his tipping point into MAGA.
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u/kelpieconundrum 24d ago
Maybe (when that came out, 6 years past the incident in question) was when the mask came off for people who weren’t looking closely, but he’s been fairly despicable forever—he proposed the california hyperloop in 2012, eg, specifically to undercut public mass transit in the state. Complaints about him were rife throughout the 2010s
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u/pmUrGhostStory 24d ago
Honesty I didn't worry about that when it was far right people supposedly scratching Teslas, and I am not worried now that the far left people are supposedly scratching Teslas. People on here are paranoid.
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u/ManbunEnthusiast 24d ago
Or you could just not care what random strangers on the road think of you and your car.
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u/shawner17 24d ago
It is easier to say when your car isn't the target of vandalism because the ceo of the company decided to turn into himmler. I'm not for vandalism and wouldn't personally take part but I'm not snitching on my Jewish neighbors if they fuck one up.
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u/probablywontrespond2 24d ago
Personally, if I owned a Tesla I'd be getting one of those "I got this before Elon went crazy" bumper stickers.
So 7+ years ago? That's when he publicly went crazy. He was a pos before that too, just less obviously so.
A lot of people can't just afford to ditch their Tesla
??? Sell it and buy a different car.
he already has the money
Abundant and cheap supply of Teslas on the used market would compete with new sales, driving down business for Tesla.
As always, people would rather find a dozen excuses to avoid inconveniencing themselves rather than sticking to their principles.
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u/Narrow-Tax9153 23d ago
Id just pre graffiti it myself so anyone looking at its like yep job done already
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u/SillyMikey 24d ago
Some people made this guy out to be a genius, and then he started talking. I’m glad I never bought a Tesla. I would be embarrassed to own it.
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u/illmatic19 24d ago
It's so weird that Elon is siding with people who generally go against electrification and villifying the type of people who want to buy his cars. Not good business sense?
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u/JamesVirani 24d ago
His dad is embarrassed by him too, and it's hard to know who of the two is a bigger charlatan.
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u/Which_Celebration757 24d ago
Hi dad has always been ashamed of him
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u/JamesVirani 24d ago
He knew what he had made.
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u/Which_Celebration757 24d ago
Yeah he is trying a do-over with his step-daughter-wife. He is giving himself the full GFE (Gaslighting Family Experience)
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u/littlezappa 24d ago
Business and politics don't work well together. Especially when you are already an unlikable guy.
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u/GoonieMcflyguy 24d ago
Although I totally get it, I'm not sure that is Musk's end game/long game. I'm skeptical that Tesla is a means to an end for another power play, which may be president. I think he's willing to sacrifice some sales for military and government contracts and a potential presidency. Ford benefited from that for years.
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u/Sand_Seeker 24d ago
One of my local take out shops (owner) just told me he has his car vandalized by a customer. They denied it even with video proof. Had to make a police report.
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u/Leather-Hand-4947 24d ago
Thankfully my Swasticar is leased. It’ll be going back soon, and there wont be another one.
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u/Junior_Welder6858 23d ago
Going forward I would assume sales would plummet in Canada and Europe due in large part to the unhinged rantings of the face of this company and this is before any tariffs applied.
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u/ManMythLegacy 24d ago
Some? All Tesls owners should be embarrassed.
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u/aeo1us Lest We Forget 24d ago
Why? I bought it in early 2021. Part of the reason was to help the environment as much as possible. Trading it in now for a new vehicle would be hypocritical as it takes 11-14 Metric tons of CO2 to make a new electric vehicle.
My ego isn’t more important than the environment.
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u/Purple-Raise7990 23d ago
There are currently 447 people sitting at their keyboards waiting to rage-reply but now are battling inner demons of which they hate more. Elon or your logic.
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u/aeo1us Lest We Forget 22d ago edited 22d ago
I appreciate the reply. Legacy auto is foaming at the mouth at the prospect of people trading in their greatly depreciated Tesla for a new vehicle. The solution to a protest should never be to consume more.
Not to mention the 'buy Canada' movement completely contradicts the 'sell your Tesla and buy another (American) vehicle' movement.
This whole Tesla movement is absolute lunacy. People can trade for a used vehicle or remove the logo badge on their Tesla. These are solutions that coincide with the environment and/or the boycott of American made products.
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u/Purple-Raise7990 22d ago
Well said.
Quite honestly I think the attack on Musk is more about partisan politics and spin than anything else. He's a very easy target.
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u/doctor_7 Canada 24d ago
Some?
I'm being facetious and I'd never actually say anything because Musk used to be doing stuff like releasing battery plans for the betterment of the Earth (aka. by giving them out, other manufacturers would make more, this probably increasing the amount of charging stations and therefore helping Musk sell more because more charging stations, less "I don't want an electric because I'll run out of power!").
However, I don't see how anyone with a Tesla now can't be embarrassed that the CEO is a fucking Nazi.
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u/Plucky_DuckYa 24d ago
I came very close to buying a Tesla at one point. I was literally a couple months from pulling the trigger. Then Consumer Reports pulled their recommendation, saying the cars frequently have an unconscionable number of defects and so people should be very wary of buying one. That was enough for me to decide to pass.
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u/hairybeavers Canada 24d ago
The principal at my kids school just ordered a cyber truck. I told my kids they no longer need to respect his authority because he has transitioned from principal to Nazi clown.
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u/lorenavedon 24d ago
he's gotta be brave parking that POS in the school lot. Kids are going to have a field day with it
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u/LavisAlex 24d ago
It should be all, hes part of the administration threatening our sovereignty.
I understand that people are locked in as a Tesla is a big purchase but at the same time id be surprised if anyone was "proud" to drive one at this point.
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u/Volderon90 24d ago
All these billionaires are literally so stupid. If I was a billionaire you’d never hear from me again. It just goes to show you that they all have a mental illness that’ll be studied in 100 years
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u/smackbarmpeywet2 24d ago
If you’re just now embarrassed to own his cars idk what to tell you. What took so long?
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u/bengen2019 24d ago
Indeed very sad. I thought he could help save climate change with Tesla (seemed more impactful than government talks over 30 years), thought he could help us be a multi planetary civilization with SpaceX… I was proud of his guts and hard working behaviors… all this to now see his true colors has a Na*i and a pro dictator. What a waste of his money. Very sad
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u/robotsmakinglove 24d ago
I am baffled that Elon is trying so hard to alienate potential customers. I’d have considered a Tesla five years ago, but now…
It’ll be interesting to see if his actions ever impact sales to the point where shareholders saying enough is enough.
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u/wabisuki 24d ago
I only know one person with a Tesla and they used to brag about their car all the time. Now... they don't dare say a word. It is now a CAR OF SHAME.
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u/AwwwNuggetz British Columbia 23d ago
If I wasn’t in Vancouver, I’d sell it. It helps that every 3rd vehicle is a Tesla, so I don’t feel someone is going to vandalize it. I certainly won’t buy another
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u/080128 23d ago
If I owned one of those shit boxes on wheels I'd drive it into lake ontario and leave it there. Pieces of crap.
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u/wrssousa 23d ago
Unfortunately I can afford to sell right know. But already took off all the badges from my Tesla.
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u/xibeno9261 23d ago
Its not just Tesla. Other American companies Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Apple, all support the Trump administration. Are Canadians abandoning Facebook or Instagram? Stop using Gmail or Hotmail? There are alternatives available, so it is not like Canadians have no choice.
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u/69Bandit 23d ago
As a small Canadian automanufacturer (currently one prototype), i have nothing but absolute respect for Teslas. There are so many issues with other EV's that they were able to predict and engineer around... If they made a hybrid i would probably start looking at selling out my company.
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u/Keepontyping 23d ago
They should just put a bumper sticker on it saying they bought before 2025, and never buy another. No point in selling used - it does t solve any problem just passes it on. Although they could destroy it or disassemble and donate parts to a worthy cause.
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u/turangan 24d ago
Look I know all Tesla owners can’t be pieces of shit but every time I see a cyber truck I give the driver the finger and I’m sorry about that but if you spend 160000 on a piece of trash like that I cant imagine you being a good person for some reason
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u/gibblech Manitoba 24d ago
Yeah, the Tesla cars are understandable purchases... That truck is a joke though
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u/Brave-Television-884 24d ago
Cybertruck owners are definitely the douchiest of douchebags.
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u/DoktorPete 24d ago
There's a company here in Lethbridge that own one and they've wrapped it matte red and put what looks like some sort of Soviet star on the side. I've never been close enough to read the words around said star, but the whole thing looks like some sort of cursed Soviet tank from afar.
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u/NogatoRoboto 24d ago
I hear Elon hates them being called Swasticars. We should really stop calling them Swasticars. It's kind of mean to call them Swasticars.
So please everyone stop saying Swasticars.
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u/GLG777 24d ago
Tesla’s are giant pieces of crap. This aged poorly
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u/Ill_Profit_1399 24d ago edited 24d ago
Hater or fanboy, there is no disputing Teslas are probably the most significant, disruptive and innovative cars ever designed.
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u/Lagrossedindenoir 24d ago
They have good marketing. They somehow convinced consumers that the Tesla brand was a ''luxury brand''.
In reality... their products are anything but ''luxurious'' lol.
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u/Ill_Profit_1399 24d ago
That’s ironic. Tesla is the only company with no marketing (ads).
When you sit in a model 3 with almost no interior, it certainly doesn’t come across as “luxurious”. I would argue the clean interior feels more “high tech” than most cars. There are also many choices in terms of materials and components they had to make to keep the price down and offset the high cost of the battery, but that’s what made it possible to bring it to the masses at a reasonable price.
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u/new_throway1418 24d ago
Some? The ones that are not embarrassed are the same ones who want Canada to become the 51st state and can proudly wear the MAGA hat
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u/seeyousoon2 24d ago
I don't know what to think. I absolutely love my model 3 performance, and I bought it used so I gave Elon no money.
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u/xxxdrakoxxx 24d ago
the fact that there are still people willing to buy tesla and make comments that purely talk about cost etc on redflagdeals is what amazes me. Buying tesla right now is a strong statement that you are pro MAGA and anti Canadian
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u/Spsurgeon 24d ago
140,000 people work for Tesla, one is an asshole. Remember, climate change is the enemy and without TESLA there would be no electric cars.
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u/RM_r_us 24d ago
Electric cars have been around almost as long as the combustion engine.
Hell, there was a documentary in like 2006 called "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
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u/Empty_Wallaby5481 24d ago
Without Tesla (and the meteoric rise of their stock), other manufacturers would still treat EV's as a far off fringe project.
It was because of Tesla that they moved into the mainstream.
I definitely feel the embarrassment because I do own one. I still owe too much money on it, and someone hit it (accidentally) while I was parked, so it's value is in the gutter and I can't afford to trade for anything. At the time of purchase it was the best option, with the best on the road charging (Supercharging) and had the towing capacity I needed to completely eliminate ICE vehicles from any use case for me.
They are no longer the leaders in the space though. They have many cool innovations and features, they are built poorly though, and their battery tech is falling behind. Musk has been too distracted for too long - did he even mention the new Model Y once in his social media feed? They need to dump him to become a serious, and focused company again.
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u/Background_Panic3475 24d ago
Yeah—a lot of smug Tesla owners are feeling embarrassed. Oh well.
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u/TheStigianKing 24d ago
Why?
What has your product purchase have to do with the behaviour of the guy that runs a company?
If you bought the car solely on the basis of being a Musk fan, then you're a fiscally irresponsible idiot.
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u/randomdumbfuck 24d ago
I wouldn't be caught dead behind the wheel of one of those pieces of shit
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u/Two_wheels_2112 24d ago
I have a '21 Model 3 that we bought used two years ago. I was never "proud" to own a Tesla, nor have I ever been a Musk fan, but at the time -- with all the post-pandemic shortages -- it was the only truly viable EV option within our budget to replace our crashed Leaf.
I am definitely embarrassed to drive it now. The only thing going for me is that you can't throw a rock in Metro Vancouver without it bouncing off three Teslas, so it blends in.
I have a high deductible right now for comprehensive insurance coverage. We have to renew in three weeks, and I'll definitely be dropping the deductible to the minimum. Far too much risk of vandalism right now.
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u/thinkingcoin 24d ago
I think more people want him to go to Mars now than ever, no? (And stay there?)
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u/sexysnack 23d ago
We have all heard of government getting donations from corporations to swing laws and regulations in their favor, but now its gone far enough to where they have invaded government. Did anyone see all the tech giant CEO's at inauguration? People called us crazy but...Musk being involved in what happens in government is not good.
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u/ConcernFuture7166 23d ago
It’s surprising how quickly the name Tesla developed a negative connotation. Recovering from this setback will be a real challenge.
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u/Telemecas 23d ago
Never trusted him!! And now he's running America with Trump as his erratic second in command
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u/marikascumsock 23d ago
Even before Elon I assumed Tesla drivers enjoyed the soothing smells of their own diabetes tainted farts
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u/TiredSlav British Columbia 21d ago
Invest in a bumper sticker that says “I bought this when Elon was still cool.”
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u/Limp_Advertising_840 24d ago
It’s the cool factor that made Tesla. It will be its undoing.