Elon Musk, right, at the opening of a Tesla factory in Germany in 2022. Photo: PATRICK PLEUL / AFP
A consumer research firm says plummeting Tesla sales in New Zealand have nothing to do with its chief executive's polarising views - and more likely are down to domestic political change, new technologies, and even age-old dilemmas like choosing the colour.
An Australian analyst told ABC that Tesla sales year on year have slumped around the world, including by a third in Australia, and much of it is due to Elon Musk's "extraordinary" actions.
They included antisemitic tweets, questionable hand gestures and linking arms with President Donald Trump.
Canstar New Zealand's editorial manager Bruce Pitchers said Tesla's most popular car, the Model Y, saw an 80 percent drop in sales last year.
Canstar New Zealand's editorial manager Bruce Pitchers. Photo: Supplied
But nationwide, sales for every make and model of electric vehicle (EV) has plummeted, and Tesla cars remain the most popular.
"The sales of Tesla were down well before his well-publicised bromance with Trump. He's always been a polarising figure but whether or not that's going to put you off buying a car?"
However, some people in Aotearoa do seem to have issues with Elon Musk.
A photo of a vandalised Tesla sign in Wellington with graffiti saying "F--- off fascist" has clocked up more than 37,000 likes on Instagram recently.
Photo: radicalgraffiti / Instagram
Politics could be applied to most car-buying decisions, Pitchers added.
"When you look at other electric car brands, particularly those coming out of China and the accusations there, of swamping the market, particularly in Europe, with subsidised cars, [and] there were a lot of green issues with buying EVs."
In New Zealand, EV sales had hit the skids after the new coalition government brought an end to the clean car discount, and brought in the addition of the road user charges, Pitchers said.
Another reason sales are down around the world could be the technologies coming along, such as the new hybrid cars, which are challenging the traditional EV's crown, he said.
"They are now far more popular and offer fuel consumption savings that are almost comparable to EVs.
"I really don't think people spending a lot of money on a Tesla are going to be thinking about the Tesla share price and the fact that it's making Elon richer."
"A lot of [car buyers] are much more worried about the colour, or the connectivity with their phones."
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