Buyer's remorse

Finally, an answer to the pressing question on most everyone’s minds since Elon Musk became BFFs with Donald Trump. What do Tesla owners – who, shall we say, tend to be a climate change accepting lot – think of the sugar daddy of non-gas guzzling electric vehicles jumping into bed with the man who thinks climate change is a hoax?

Well, for a referendum on the new bromance, look no further than their bumpers. Bumper stickers including “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy,” “Anti Elon Tesla Club” and “Shut up, Elon” have been flying off the shelves of online marketplaces like Matt Hiller’s “Mad Puffer Stickers.”

 Hiller, who lives in Hawaii, told the New York Times he had been thinking about buying a Tesla, but in early 2023, after Musk took over Twitter, Hiller found himself, like many, alienated by what he characterized as misinformation on the site.

“I’m like, there’s no way I’m buying a Tesla: I don’t want to give this guy a penny,” Hiller told the Times. “I started thinking, there’s got to be so many people who are just embarrassed, who have a Tesla already, and they’re like, ‘I don’t want to endorse anything this guy stands for.’”

Initially, Hiller sold 5-10 stickers a day. But as Musk became increasingly cozy as Trump’s sidekick, orders started flying in. Hiller said he’s sold about 18,000 stickers so far.

Apparently, conservative Tesla owners (we know, we didn’t think they existed, either) are fighting back with pro-Elon messages. “I bought this after I knew Elon was awesome,” reads one sported by Sean Ziese, of Oklahoma. “I’ve always been against E.V.s.,” Ziese told the Times. “I told my wife, ‘If Elon is going to start supporting conservatives and free speech, I’m going to start supporting Elon.’” So he bought a Cybertruck and added the “awesome” sticker. It has become his favorite car … if you can call it that.