Will Elon Musk need Trump’s help to sell his Tesla in Spain?: “Here they are luxury cars”

Shortly after recognizing that a recession could arrive, something that made the US stock market one of its worst days in recent years, the president of the country, the president of the country, the president of the country, Donald Trump left in defense of one of the companies that mores have fallen since he arrived at the White House: Tesla. He did it with a message on his social network – not in X – in which he asked the conservative citizens to acquire the vehicles of Elon Musk, which also directs the agency for government efficiency.

On Monday, Tesla’s shares fell 15%, which means they have already lost almost half of its value so far this year (They have gone from the 417 dollars worth December 30 to $ 215 in which they closed on March 10). In that period the sales of the company’s cars have collapsed.

In January, according to ACEA data, Tesla sold 7,157 cars throughout Europe, 50.3% less than in the same month of 2024. In February, although there are still no global data, sales in Germany (-76%), Netherlands (-24%), Sweden (-42%), Norway and Denmark (-48%), France (-45%) Italy (-55%), Spain (-10%) and Portugal (-53%) fell. Also in the United States a decrease has been noticed, although more moderate, according to Ward Intelligence: 7% less sales in 2024 and a 2% downturn in the first two months of 2025. All this, without a depression has been detected in the sales of other electrical competitors (in Germany, for example, the segment grew more than 50%).

In this context, a message that Trump addressed “to the Republicans, conservatives and all the great Americans is framed.” Elon Musk, he argued, “is playing it” to help the country and “the lunatics of the radical left” are trying to “boycott Tesla -” Elon’s baby “, who has 14 children – illegally and conspiracy” to “harm Elon and everything he represents.” He, he said, was going to buy a new Tesla on Tuesday “as a sample of confidence and support” to the manager.

In the United States there are several voices that relate the fall in sales with the image of a Musk more and more linked to the US government and frequently involved in controversies. In forums such as Reddit, the Tesla have begun to be renamed swastikar o Model SStwo words that relate Nazism to the brand, whose founder did something, as little, similar to Nazi greeting in a Trump rally.

Shortly after this gesture, the singer Sheryl Crow He shared on his social networks the process of selling his Tesla, something that other owners have also documented. While the real impact of these actions in the results of the company seems more limitedits reputational impact does seem increasing. In 2024, in fact, there was a considerable fall of 12% in sales in the traditionally Democrat California, which has been one of its main markets in the United States.

Tesla in Spain

However, Eduardo Arcosdirector of hypertextual and expert in electric mobility, does not believe that this rejection of Tesla and Musk has arrived so strongly. In his opinion, The fall in sales has more to do with the launch of a new model andwhich until this year had been the best -selling electric in the continent: “More than half the sales in Europe are from Model and, the Tesla factory in Berlin only manufactures this car because it is what is bought most.” Throughout the month of March the first units of the new Model will begin to be delivered and, something that Arcos believes that it will be reflected later in the enrollments.

“If it has happened in Europe, it must be something very anecdotal,” explains the expert. “This is something subjective, but for my part I have never felt that for driving a Tesla there is some kind of rejection and I have not heard comments from the community.” In his opinion, The controversy “touches us a tad away” And, although he acknowledges that there are people who do not share Musk’s messages, he believes that “being in Europe and not having Elon Musk so close, there is no the same effect on the United States.”

In this sense, Arcos raises a relevant differentiation between the United States and European user. In the North American country, at least in its early years, the brand – and electric vehicles in general – was more associated with Democratic voterswhich resorted to non -polluting cars in a country very dependent on private displacements. Meanwhile, in the old continent, although there is a fuel savings factor, Musk’s firm is more associated with the high range.

“If you look at the profile of the buyer type of an electric car today, it tends to the right a bit per price segment,” says arches. “The economic segment in which there is an electric car tends towards a buyer who is closer to 50 than of the 40 families, perhaps director …”, he affects. And, although there are those who go to this option for environmental reasons -herself, he acknowledges-, in his contact with the community they see that “many people do it for what the brand represents in terms of luxury.”