Tackling Tesla Won't Work

Alan Cai

March 28, 2025

This weekend, thousands of protesters in the United States and around the globe who are unhappy with Elon Musk’s leadership of the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are taking to the streets to express their frustration. As part of a movement known as “Tesla Takedown,” organizers are urging protesters to boycott the purchase of Tesla vehicles, abandon them, and sell Tesla stock. Some protesters in recent weeks have even vandalized Tesla cars, dealerships, and charging stations, and more such incidents are expected to occur in the coming days. The decentralized movement is primarily fueled by Musk’s unpopular mass firings of government employees in an effort to rapidly curtail government spending and size.

Although the intent behind the outpour of grievances is reasonable, the method by which the protests will commence — specifically the targeting of Tesla — may be less effective than expected.

The most apparent reason why targeting Tesla vehicles and manufacturing plants won’t work is because Musk doesn’t appear to view them as crucial components of his vision. Musk himself posted on X in January of last year, “Tesla is an AI/robotics company that appears to many to be a car company.” Indeed, if any of the public technology demonstrations are to be relied upon, Tesla’s recent groundbreaking achievements have largely centered around its investment in robotics and automation rather than car manufacturing. It should suffice to say that car sales are merely a revenue generator to fund Elon’s larger ambitions. That’s not to suggest that the cash flows created by the sale of Tesla vehicles are negligible to Musk, but they are not Elon’s focus and are simply a means to an end. Additionally, as the SpaceX founder further ingratiates himself with the Trump administration, there would be no doubt that Musk’s other business ventures includinghis space company and his satellite internet company Starlink would be receiving lucrative government contracts shamelessly doled out by his doting political patron. Since he acquired Twitter, now known as X, Elon’s efforts have seldom been directed toward Tesla and these protests will not likely change that.

The second perhaps less evident reason why protesting against Tesla may not affect Elon Musk’s government interference is that his goal in life has shifted away from merely earning money. In Plutarch’s How to Be a Leader, he urges individuals who have enjoyed financial success in life to dedicate their energies and wealth to the betterment of their city-states. This attitude transcends to the present day: many billionaires and other successful individuals contribute tremendously to charities, participate in political campaigns, and sometimes run for office themselves. This is no accident; for many of these wealthy citizens, seeing their tickers go up no longer satisfies them, but making an impact on their society does. Even though he does it in a manner that somewhat deviates from his wealthy peers, Elon Musk is fulfilling this higher purpose through his contributions through DOGE. Thus, protests against Tesla, even if they successfully tank the stock and slow the sales, will not make him budge.