The latest time, the sale of Tesla has plummeted in Europe with a halving in January compared to last year. This at the same time as the CEO and founder Elon Musk has become part of President Trump's administration and actively mixed himself in European politics and expressed his support for the party Alternative for Germany (AFD).
Boycotting the Company
Musk's actions have led to a resistance growing, where it has been reported on how consumers are now boycotting the company for political reasons.
The trend is also beginning to be noticed among Swedish companies where Tesla was previously a hot alternative when it comes to company leasing.
Yes, it's noticeable. They have made the decision not to buy certain car brands for various reasons, one of the major reasons being political and negative opinions, and they don't want to be associated with that as a company, says Ronny Svensson, CEO of the consulting firm Ynnor specialized in the company car sector.
In a report that the company recently published, this development is highlighted, and according to Ronny Svensson, it's particularly noticeable among larger companies.
They are very hesitant about Tesla right now, they're saying no thanks. There are, however, many reasons for this, and apart from Elon Musk's statements, it's the resale value, that it won't hold, he says.
According to Ronny Svensson, a large number of Tesla cars are expected to come onto the second-hand market, around 9,000 next year and another 20,000 the year after. This, coupled with challenges surrounding inspections of Tesla cars, contributes to the uncertainty.
It's simply that they have quality problems with, among other things, brakes, undercarriage, and rust, then you lose safety in the car, according to Ronny Svensson.
Commercial Grounds
One of the companies that has now chosen to stop offering Tesla is the construction giant Skanska. The company's press chief Jacob Birkeland emphasizes that it's not about a political stance in Skanska's case, but purely on commercial grounds.
Those who are in charge of our vehicle fleet make constant evaluations. We haven't found the commercial weighting that we're looking for, so therefore we have a stop for Tesla as a company car, he says to TT.
In Sweden, Tesla has also been involved in a labor dispute with IF Metall regarding the union's demands to sign a collective agreement. That aspect plays a lesser role now, according to Ronny Svensson's assessment:
The labor disputes have blown over and didn't hold in the long run. Here, you have instead the political outbursts and resale value, it's a collective part that decides, says Ronny Svensson.
