The picture shows a Model Y car taken at the opening ceremony of the new Tesla electric vehicle Gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany on March 22, 2022.
Patrick Puller | Pool | Reuters
European pharmacy giant Rothman declare I won’t buy any more on Tuesday TeslaIts fleet of electric vehicles is effective immediately, citing CEO Musk’s political support for Trump.
Germany-based Rothman said in a statement that its decision was “based on the incompatibility of Tesla CEO Musk’s comments with the values that Tesla products represent.”
“Elon Musk has made no secret of his support for Donald Trump,” company spokesman Raoul Rothman said in a statement. “Trump has repeatedly described climate change as a hoax. — This attitude stands in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to contribute to environmental protection through the production of electric vehicles.”
Rossmann reportedly only buys about 180 electric vehicles a year and has only 38 Teslas in its fleet Burundi — The company’s decision to cut purchases of all Tesla electric vehicles suggests Musk’s political decisions are starting to have an impact on automakers outside the U.S.
Musk officially endorses Trump Last month, he said he was donating to America PAC, a pro-Trump group he helped found. Trump announced on Tuesday that Musk also plans to interview the former president.
During a June debate with President Biden, former President Trump avoid the question On what steps, if any, he will take to combat climate change. Trump calls climate change “scam.He also pledged to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement if re-elected in November, as he did during his presidency.
According to ongoing research Morning consultationSince Musk’s leveraged acquisition of Twitter (now known as X) at the end of 2022, American Republicans have begun to look at Musk with admiration. Musk’s reputation among left-leaning voters has declined, even though they are far more likely to buy an electric vehicle, according to the Pew Research Center.
Rothman’s decision follows a recent investigation that found Tesla’s brand image had deteriorated in part due to Musk’s “antics” and “political rants.” Although Tesla’s second-quarter revenue grew 2%, its automotive business revenue fell 7% to $19.9 billion from $21.27 billion in the same period last year.
Tesla opened a factory in Brandenburg, Germany (just outside Berlin) in 2022 and employs thousands of people in the country. As of the end of 2023, pharmacy chain Rossmann reported that it had more than 4,700 stores and more than 60,000 employees, about half of whom were in Germany.
Tesla has faced protests in Germany from environmentalists who take issue with the company’s plans to clear some forests and use water for manufacturing in Brandenburg. Musk slams protesters there, MarchX says They are “either the dumbest eco-terrorists on the planet or puppets of those without good environmental goals.”
Representatives for Tesla, Musk and Rothman did not respond to requests for more details Thursday morning.
