MW I'm a Democrat who drives a Tesla. A guy shouted abuse at me for driving a car made by Elon Musk. Am I a hypocrite? Should I sell my car?
By Quentin Fottrell
'I live in a pretty liberal neighborhood, but am I now supposed to feel guilty for owning this car?'
Dear Quentin,
I bought a Tesla Model 3 about five years ago. I was going to buy a Volkswagen, but the car dealer was so argumentative, and when he found out that I lived in West Hollywood, he said, "What do you need $500 for? You live in one of the richest places in America." After that, I was done. I went home and logged on to my computer and bought a Tesla. It was as easy as if I was buying an iPad $(AAPL)$. It was so easy. I've enjoyed the car, and it's been a reliable and smooth ride.
At a parking lot last week, some [profanity redacted] made fun of my car and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk. He asked me, "Why are you driving that thing?" I told him in jest that I bought it before Musk bought Twitter and got involved in the 2024 election, and he said that I should drive it off a cliff. I'm now waiting for the next guy to pass judgment. I did not vote for Donald Trump in the election, though I accept the results. I love my car. I am a proud owner of a Tesla. I worked hard for it.
I live in a pretty liberal neighborhood, but am I now supposed to feel guilty for owning this car? Am I morally obliged to give it up to please people like that guy in the parking lot?
Am I now the villain in this story?
Oh, I forgot to mention: The guy who told me to drive off a cliff was driving a Mercedes convertible. Should I question the political positions taken by its top executives in the first half of the 20th Century - and put that to the man in the parking lot?
Tesla Driver
Related: 'What the hell!' I'm 28, have no debt, a 401(k), Roth IRA and $45K in cash. Should I save for a house or buy a Tesla Model 3?
Dear Driver,
Goodbye, identity politics. Hello, identity consumerism.
There are two villains in this story: the car salesman and the guy in the parking lot. The latter should have kept his opinions about your Tesla to himself. The path of righteousness rarely leads to a peaceful, happy place. And, yes, Daimler-Benz AG (as it was known then) supported the Third Reich and, according to the company's own history of its role during the Nazi era, it used "prisoners of war, abducted civilians and detainees from concentration camps" as forced labor.
I'm going to tell you what I told the Moneyist reader who felt guilty for making money from the stock-market rally: Guilt is the fast-food of emotions - it gives us a semblance of energy, but ultimately does nothing good for our health. No, you are not morally obliged to sell your car, but if you want to trade it in for a Hyundai Ioniq 6 or a Lucid Air, go for it. (The former was voted No. 1 electric car by the U.S. News and World Report, and the latter was voted No. 2 luxury EV behind the Tesla Model 3.)
One guy in a parking lot should not bully you into changing your car (or force you to drive it off a cliff). People who vote for the losing candidate are obviously going to be disappointed, but taking out frustrations and anger on strangers in parking lots is not the way to change minds or win arguments. I'm not a fan of people offering others their unsolicited opinions. If you asked him and he gave his perspective? Sure, that's a fair comment. Otherwise, move on.
And if you decided to switch up your car because you did not agree with the political views of Trump or Musk? That's fine, too. Some people refuse to shop at Amazon because they believe it has hurt independent stores - along with the rest of the internet. The list goes on. The beauty of an open marketplace is that you are free to buy whatever products or services you want. The same is true for companies that decide to pull their advertising from TV shows or magazines.
It's a hard pill to swallow for some liberal Tesla $(TSLA)$ drivers. You bought the car to save on carbon emissions and thought you were ticking a box that helped the environment, and now you face the conundrum of owning a product that's inextricably identified with a man who supports ideas and values that you may vehemently disagree with. It's an honorable act to spend your money according to your values - but you may end up growing your own vegetables and making your own breakfast cereal.
Moral anguish and liberal friends
As Matt Bai recently wrote in the Washington Post about his Democratic neighbors: "Nothing I can think of has plunged liberal friends of mine into a kind of moral anguish quite like Musk and his Tesla." He added: "I have friends who were reluctant to buy a German car when they were shopping a few years ago because of the troubled history of German automakers profiting from the Third Reich. They ended up buying a Tesla."
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that some left-leaning consumers are not going to buy a Tesla based on the political views and statements from the chief executive. Headlines like "Would-be Tesla buyers snub company as Musk's reputation dips" (Reuters) and "Elon Musk's reputation is falling - and it's taking Tesla with it" (The Verge) come to mind. Despite such surveys and speculation, Tesla's sales and share price remain buoyant.
In fact, Tesla's stock is up nearly 50% over the last month alone, and it rose again on Monday after a report that President-elect Trump's transition team will create a federal framework for self-driving vehicles and make it a priority for the Department of Transportation. Sales in the third quarter rose 8% to $25.18 billion, the company reported in September, but it noted that the average selling price for Models 3, Y, S and X had fallen.
For what it's worth, studies show that conservatives also choose to spend their money according to their ideological and political beliefs, including when it comes to beer, retail stores and fast-food franchises. If the indignant fellow in the parking lot were to go home and open his cupboards, he would likely end up with egg on his face based on the environmental, political and social practices of the conglomerates that make his clothing and food.
When the time comes to change your car, you can stick with Tesla or go with another brand. But don't do it because of some schmuck in a parking lot who thinks it's his business to tell other people how to live their lives. Keep it or sell it because you believe it's the right thing to do for you and because you do or do not feel comfortable driving a vehicle. Buying a car is not the same as casting a vote. In the meantime, drive safely.
Put that busybody in your rearview mirror.
Related: 'I've no interest in investing more money in the stock market': I'm debt-free, retired and ignoring the 'Trump bump.' What should I do with $400,000?
You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at qfottrell@marketwatch.com, and follow Quentin Fottrell on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.
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-Quentin Fottrell
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November 22, 2024 15:12 ET (20:12 GMT)
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