Tesla sales drop for fifth month in a row in Europe

It would be interesting to see if the brand could be recovered if Elon left. I have to imagine a significant fraction of anyone still working there is still there because they're politically aligned with Elon, so, it might be difficult.

I think now that VW and Renault have their own very attractive options and the US is acting more and more hostile, even if Tesla was purged from Elon loyalists, why would anyone buy American if they can buy European?

I agree entirely. I can't imagine the reputation of the US being repaired inside a generation.

I don't think Americans quite understand the damage that has been done to their country.

This stuff is how empires fall.

Remind me who created VW again? Seems like that brand is rehabilitated...

I've always found it amusing how the VW Beetle got its cultural associations. Maybe some things just stand on their own regardless of their origins.

Polls say somewhere between 55-80% of Americans get it. The republicans are explicitly ignoring everyone except a < 20% fringe movement, and are systematically dismantling the rule of law and our democracy faster than hitler did.

We already have troops being deployed against Americans, ICE arresting citizens, and the Supreme Court making it impossible for lower courts to do anything after they’ve ruled the Trump administration is in violation of the law. There are numerous ongoing illegal attacks against our (private!) universities and free speech too. Also, they’re purging the executive branch of all scientists and military leadership that might uphold the constitution. We also have a new international network of detention camps, and are actively supporting genocide and starting wars.

So, yeah, Americans deeply understanding how f-cked the entire planet is.

Many do not but still many do. Hopefully those of us that do will still be around to pick up the pieces. The American Spirit is a thing but we'll just have to hope it endures whatever the consequences are going to be for recent actions.

As long as he or any of his subsidiaries or family hold stock, buying a Tesla will still enrich him, making it toxic to anyone who cares about that.

Ferdinand Prosche. Oh you mean the association with the Nazis, like Henry Ford?

He would also have to sell his shares.

You must be joking.

Yes, Henry Ford had Nazi sympathies. But VW was literally founded by the Nazis:

> "Volkswagen was established in 1937 by the German Labour Front (German: Deutsche Arbeitsfront) as part of the Strength Through Joy (German: Kraft durch Freude) program in Berlin" [0]

> "The German Labour Front (German: Deutsche Arbeitsfront, pronounced [ˌdɔʏtʃə ˈʔaʁbaɪtsfʁɔnt]; DAF) was the national labour organization of the Nazi Party, which replaced the various independent trade unions in Germany during the process of Gleichschaltung or Nazification." [1]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen#:~:text=1932–1944:%...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Labour_Front

Besides, both Mercedes (as Daimler-Benz) and BMW made Nazi tanks during that time.

All those brands are now squeaky-clean.