The vandalism of Tesla vehicles as a backlash to Elon Musk's foray into politics has gotten so bad that vehicle owners are being forced to alter the appearance of their cars to try and distance themselves from Musk and the Tesla name.
The Daily News wrote that some owners are using stickers and logos from other brands or displaying messages like “Anti-Elon Tesla Club” to distance themselves from Musk.
Social media posts show altered Teslas resembling Audis, Mazdas, or Hondas, while an EV website reports a surge in sales of Musk-related decals.
Additionally, there have been a number of reports of vandalism of Tesla property and protests outside of Tesla stores worldwide.
For example, a woman suspected of attempted arson and repeated vandalism at a Northern Colorado Tesla dealership was arrested last Monday—the fourth such incident in recent weeks. Lucy Grace Nelson was taken into custody after allegedly returning with more incendiary devices and vandalism materials.
Prior incidents occurred on Jan. 29, Feb. 2, and Feb. 7, though details on the materials remain unknown, according to NBC.
Molotov cocktails were allegedly thrown at vehicles, and “Nazi cars” was spray-painted on a Tesla dealership. Similar vandalism has occurred elsewhere, including a Cybertruck in California and a Tesla charger in Utah, both defaced with “Nazi” graffiti and swastikas, Yahoo! News added.
After a suspect in Brookline was found to be "tagging Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk decals" this week, Musk responded on X, stating: "Damaging the property of others, aka vandalism, is not free speech!"