For someone who wears many hats, including—but not limited to—being the CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX and the owner of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Elon Musk has a lot of time on his hands.
Unlike many automotive or Silicon Valley figureheads, Musk has been at the center of many controversies outside his line of work, many of which were his own making.
Even considering recent events, his outspoken political views are a primary source of consumer polarization and contention.
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Apart from his outsized support for the current U.S. President Donald Trump — on social media, the campaign trail, and in public spaces — he has not been shy about dropping his opinions about politics in countries beyond the borders of the United States; not limited to his native South Africa and the United Kingdom.
All things considered, the CEO of a key Tesla rival sees an opportunity to capture EV drivers who are sick of the noise surrounding Musk at Tesla itself.
Polestar CEO: Musk’s political endorsements are ‘totally unacceptable’
Tesla-rivalling Polestar (PSNY) is a truly international company with roots set all around the world.
Polestar originated as a racing and motorsports tuning offshoot of the legendary Swedish automaker Volvo, which is currently owned by a Chinese automaker named Geely (GELYF) .
Currently, it has offices in Sweden and the United Kingdom and makes cars in China, South Korea, and the United States. However, in an interview with Bloomberg, its CEO Michael Lohscheller said that Musk’s involvement in politics in his native Germany may turn people off the brand.
“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.”
Despite praising Musk as a “very successful businessman” who has “done incredible things for Tesla,” Lohscheller sees this negative sentiment as something that can hurt Tesla and provide a critical opening for Polestar to swoop in.
He revealed that he directed Polestar salespeople to target disgruntled Tesla owners, and he did not hold back regarding his opinion about Musk’s interactions with German politics.
“For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing,” Lohscheller said. “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.”
Musk’s German political endorsement carries a different weight than his American endeavors.
Though Musk’s venture into American politics has earned him a significant and notable spot within the Trump administration as the leader tasked with the Department of Government Efficiency,
Over the past few months, Musk has expressed support and urged Germans to vote for candidates under Alternative für Deutschland, translated as the ‘Alternative for Germany’ party, better known as AfD. They are an ultra-right-wing party that has gained traction in the country for its Euro-skeptic, nativist, and Islamaphobic platform.
As per the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV for short), Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the AfD, is classified as a “suspected extremist” organization, as many of its members have been known to promote and spread neo-nazi ideology.
In a post on X on December 20, 2024, Musk wrote, “Only the AfD can save Germany.”
More Business of EVs:
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- Donald Trump’s EV stance fuels sales rush for dealers
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Anti-Musk sentiment is spreading beyond Germany
Musk’s political leanings have led people to divest from entities linked to his pocketbook.
Most recently, Musk’s latest controversial actions have sparked a wave of boycotts of his social media platform X by over 100 large communities on Reddit, including fan discussion boards for entities like the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
However, politically motivated sentiment against Musk’s golden goose, Tesla, has been brewing amongst EV owners within and outside the German borders for quite a while.
In August 2024, Rossmann, one of the largest pharmacy chains in Europe, announced that it would stop buying Tesla vehicles for its fleet, citing Elon’s views as its primary reason.
“ROSSMANN will not purchase any more Tesla vehicles for its fleet with immediate effect,” the company said in German. This decision is based on the incompatibility between Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statements and the values that Tesla represents with its products.”
Related: Hyundai CEO says Trump and Musk link is good for the auto industry
More recently, LichtBlick, one of Germany’s largest energy providers, announced on LinkedIn that it is also shying away from the Musk-mobiles, noting that though it “will not have far-reaching economic consequences for Tesla,” it wants to make things right.
“Elon Musk’s support of Donald Trump and his recommendation to vote for a right-wing populist and right-wing extremist party that is in no way compatible with LichtBlick’s values prompted us to take this step,” LichtBlick Head of Facilities and Real Estate Kevin Lütje said on Linkedin, translated from German.
“We are committed to diversity, tolerance and democracy. And of course climate protection and electromobility are extremely important to us. But in the future we will be relying on providers other than Tesla. All current contracts with Tesla vehicles will not be renewed after the contract ends.”
Tesla Inc. and Polestar are both traded on the NASDAQ under respective tickers, TSLA and PSNY.
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