Since recent events are leading people to boycott every product/service owned or operated by a certain person (including Twitter/X), I’ve seen people labeled as a Nazi for promoting/using Teslas.
Does endorsing this product somewhat support the owner either directly or indirectly? Perhaps. Does that mean you necessarily agree with all of his views/actions? I don’t think so, but it might be seen as tolerating them enough to not want to distance yourself from him/cease participating in any action that could in any way support him entirely? Or maybe just prioritising certain things above those principles, or not believing that your use of the product is meaningful in message or impact in relation to support for the figurehead?
It’s a shame because while there are a lot of other EVs, Teslas are a popular line that are in many ways leading the world in electric & hybrid vehicle technology. A boycott of Tesla could do some harm for the world & hinder the fight against climate change (similar to a boycott of Greta Thunberg’s climate efforts over her position on Israel). Is it worth that risk to disassociate from/remove any possible support for the person? Maybe?
Also, notably, the person in question didn’t found the company, contrary to popular misconception, and simply purchased it when he saw a business opportunity like he did with multiple other companies. So it would be a shame to forever link the brand with him inextricably rather than recognising its origins and potential to exist outside of his orbit (and maybe it will divest from him eventually, possibly as a necessity for commercial viability/brand image in the wake of this apparent boycott).
Lastly, some have pointed out that while the owner’s views on climate change issues are mixed at best (with quite a few scientists having accused him of climate misinformation-spreading), his association with climate-friendly tech innovations could inspire the political group he is now heavily embedded in to reconsider the potential utility of such technologies or the need to address climate change in general, many of whom are currently resistant to those ideas.
Tesla having an oligarchical stranglehold over US EVs is why I can’t affordably own a better brand like BYD. If you want to be idealistic about Tesla’s supposed climate change role, explain it to me in the context of The Purpose of a System is What it Does. Tesla uses public funds to make luxury cars while suppressing the EV industry through its proprietary infrastructure, obsession with private transit, and government influence. The Boring Company is a direct response to California trying to implement high speed rail so that the wealthy don’t have to share space with workers.
Of course I negatively judge someone for owning one. If it’s a cybertruck, they’re feral and I write them off as a member of society. Electrification is dead on arrival as long as they exist.