1 February 2025 Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has certainly ruffled some feathers in his meteoric rise. Known for various different ventures including Tesla, SpaceX and most recently X (formerly Twitter), the South African-born American hasn’t been shy about sharing his opinions. Some feel so strongly about Elon Musk’s views that it would influence their decision on whether or not to buy a Tesla. Since Musk has been the face of Tesla and, arguably, one of the largest proponents for the transition to electric cars, it can be hard to separate the man from the company and its cars. In recent weeks, certainly since the US elections in late 2024, there have been increasing numbers of people publicly declaring on social media that they’re selling their Tesla, quitting Twitter and so on. Is this likely to be a short-lived phenomenon, or is Tesla facing long-term rejection from existing and potential customers over the behaviour of its leader? A few years ago, the company’s stock price rose and fell dramatically based on what Musk was saying publicly. For investors, this was a tumultuous time – not only banking on the future of an electric vehicle company, but also contending with its CEO’s unfiltered opinions. In recent times, the company appears to have matured away from being so dependent on the impact of Musk’s word. Tesla is now valued at more than $1 trillion. Regardless of the company’s worth, what does Musk’s continued involvement in Tesla mean for consumers? At its core, very little. Apart from the odd political jibe from friends and family about your perceived views, getting a Tesla doesn’t mean you support Musk. Equally, not getting a Tesla because of your stance on Musk won’t be the boycott you think it is. Whatever you think of Musk, there’s no doubt that he has done more to advance the electric car movement than anyone. He’s also done more to advance space exploration in the last 25 years than anyone else and has poured money into various other big ideas in different industries, the sort of long-term, financially risky projects that most investors steer well clear of. Controversial car company owners are not nothing new It’s certainly nothing new in the automotive sector – let alone other industries – for powerful people and businesses owners to cause controversy that affects their brands’ reputations. Henry Ford may be held up as one of the 20th century’s leading industrialists, but even today, Ford Motor Company reps tend to squirm when anyone mentions the founder’s name. Ford expressed extraordinary antisemitic views throughout his life, even buying a newspaper called the Dearborn Independent to use as a mouthpiece for his opinions. Although he supposedly didn’t write the articles himself, many of the paper’s worst rantings were compiled into a four-part series of books under his name called The International Jew in the early 1920s. Despite a widespread backlash in America, it proved very popular in Germany, especially with a certain Austrian-born German political activist… Speaking of Hitler, that inevitably brings us to Volkswagen – a company literally founded by the Nazis and a personal pet project of Hitler himself. The original Volkswagen Type 1 (universally known as the Beetle) was designed by Hitler’s good mate and loyal Nazi, Dr Ferdinand Porsche, who went on to found his own sports car company after the war. Still in Germany, BMW has been owned since the 1950s by the Quandt family, which amassed its vast fortune from factories that used Jewish slave labour to supply arms to the Nazi war machine. In fact, there’s probably not a single German company from the second world war that wasn’t involved with the Nazis to a greater or lesser degree. And where exactly do we draw the line? The current chairman of both Stellantis and Ferrari, John Elkann, (who is also a major shareholder of both companies) is currently under investigation for tax fraud in Italy amounting to tens of millions of pounds. He has not been convicted of anything, but should you cancel that Ferrari order until the investigation is concluded – just in case? Which Tesla models are sold in the UK? If you’re prepared to put your political views to one side, here’s what you need to know about Tesla in the UK. Compared to other legacy manufacturers, Tesla has a fairly limited range in the UK which focuses on two SUVs and two saloons. The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X are the company’s SUV offerings while the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model S are its saloons. The Model 3 and Model Y are most commonly seen in the UK as these are offered in right-hand drive. The Model S and Model X are still available, but only in left-hand drive configuration and fewer options, which limits their appeal. This year Tesla will be rolling out its updated Model Y, one of the most anticipated electric cars coming in 2025. In a bid to diversify its offering, Tesla has been developing a cheaper model with a target price of around £25K. There have been mixed reports about whether this car, possibly named the Model Q, is still going ahead anytime soon. Current Tesla range on our Expert Rating Index