Teslump

Summary

Today, Explained – Episode: Teslump Release Date: March 11, 2025
Hosts: Noel King and Fez Siddiqui
Authors: Vox Media Podcast Network

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1. Introduction: Tesla’s Tumultuous Times

The episode opens with Noel King introducing a series of troubling events surrounding Tesla, Inc. This includes intentional fires at Tesla charging stations and vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles. The hosts set the stage for an in-depth exploration of how these incidents are intertwined with broader political and economic shifts involving Elon Musk.

2. Tesla Under Attack: Vandalism and Public Backlash

Noel King highlights the recent surge in destructive acts against Tesla infrastructure. He states, “These Tesla charging stations were intentionally set on fire” (00:31). The conversation escalates as Andrew Hawkins and Terry Gross describe scenes of chaos, including a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames (00:35, 00:36).

Sheryl Crow contributes by revealing that some of the vandalized cars bore offensive and hateful messages, indicating a targeted backlash against Tesla owners (00:40). The hosts discuss how these acts of vandalism are symptomatic of a deeper societal frustration with Elon Musk’s polarizing figure.

3. Stock Market Reactions and Ownership Sentiment

Andrew Hawkins provides a historical context, explaining that Tesla experienced a "phenomenal rally" immediately after the election, driven by investor confidence in Elon Musk’s alignment with new political power (02:25). However, this momentum has reversed, with Tesla’s stock experiencing its first decline in over a decade (02:37).

The episode delves into how Tesla owners, traditionally seen as progressive and environmentally conscious, are now feeling disillusioned with Musk’s political maneuvers. Noel King points out that many owners regret their purchases due to Musk's "hard right turn" and his associations with the Trump administration (03:15). This sentiment is underscored by Sheryl Crow’s public decision to sell her Tesla, highlighting a shift in consumer loyalty (04:37).

4. Elon Musk's Political Involvement and Influence

A significant portion of the episode examines Elon Musk’s burgeoning role in Washington. Noel King discusses Musk’s appointment as an unelected Special Advisor in the Trump administration, a position unprecedented for a CEO of a major corporation (13:54). This relationship is scrutinized for its potential impact on Tesla and Musk’s other ventures.

Sheryl Crow outlines Musk’s extensive history with federal contracts through SpaceX and Tesla, noting that his influence may be swaying government decisions in his favor (18:27). The hosts question whether Musk’s proximity to power is directly benefiting his businesses, citing the FAA’s potential to award contracts to SpaceX’s Starlink (21:11).

5. The Cybertruck: Symbol of Contention

The Tesla Cybertruck emerges as a central symbol of the backlash against Musk. Described as "the perfect vehicle for the dystopian future" by Musk himself (06:11), the Cybertruck’s stark, angular design has made it a favorite target for vandals. The hosts illustrate this point with vivid examples of public scorn, including direct insults hurled at the vehicle (05:59, 06:04).

Andrew Hawkins explains that the Cybertruck represents a drastic departure from Tesla’s earlier, more sleek models like the Model 3 and Model Y, which were better received by the public (06:32). This shift has alienated a significant portion of Tesla’s customer base, leading to decreased brand loyalty.

6. Shifting Focus: From Automobiles to AI and Robotics

As Tesla grapples with declining sales and public support, Elon Musk is pivoting the company’s focus towards AI and robotics. Andrew Hawkins notes that recent earnings calls have increasingly centered on these new ventures rather than traditional automotive developments (11:18). Projects like the Cyber Cab and the Optimus humanoid robots are highlighted as Musk’s new areas of interest, signaling a potential shift in Tesla’s strategic direction (12:11).

Sheryl Crow questions whether this pivot signifies Musk’s waning interest in the automotive sector, suggesting that Tesla is becoming less of a priority compared to his ambitions in technology and space exploration (12:44).

7. Regulatory Challenges and Future Prospects

The episode addresses the regulatory hurdles Tesla faces, especially in the realm of autonomous vehicles. Sheryl Crow discusses how initial hopes that Musk’s political ties would smooth regulatory pathways are now met with skepticism and resistance within federal agencies (23:03).

Andrew Hawkins highlights Tesla’s first drop in sales as part of a broader trend of increased competition in the electric vehicle market, both from legacy automakers and international rivals like those in China (10:18). Additionally, Musk’s legal troubles with the SEC over his takeover of Twitter illustrate the precariousness of his position (18:56).

8. Conclusion: Elon Musk’s Uncertain Path Forward

As the episode wraps up, Noel King and Sheryl Crow discuss the precarious balance Musk holds between immense wealth and political influence. Despite substantial financial gains, Musk’s ventures face unprecedented challenges that may threaten his dominance in the tech and automotive industries (25:38).

Sheryl Crow emphasizes the unpredictability of Musk’s future endeavors, noting the recent failures in SpaceX’s Starship launches and ongoing disruptions at Twitter (25:21, 25:24). The hosts ponder whether Musk can navigate these turbulent waters or if his expansive reach will ultimately lead to a decline in his influence and business empire.

Notable Quotes

• Noel King: “These Tesla charging stations were intentionally set on fire.” (00:31)
• Sheryl Crow: “Support his agenda. I'm certainly not a Trump supporter.” (05:06)
• Andrew Hawkins: “Musk is not interested in owning and running a car company anymore.” (11:14)
• Sheryl Crow: “SpaceX has received billions in federal contract awards.” (18:27)
• Noel King: “What's it like to be a CEO and also unelected vice president? That's never been done before.” (13:54)

Final Thoughts

"Teslump" provides a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted challenges Tesla and Elon Musk face in the wake of significant political involvement and public backlash. Through insightful discussions and firsthand accounts, the episode paints a vivid picture of a company at a crossroads, grappling with internal shifts and external pressures that could redefine its future.

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Listen to Today, Explained: For those interested in the intricate dynamics between technology, politics, and consumer behavior, this episode offers valuable insights into one of the most influential companies of our time.

Transcript

[Noel King]

Hey, do you have a Tesla? You want to get rid of it? Give it to me. Guess who's getting a Tesla. President Trump Truth socialed today. I'm going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American. The problem is this.

[Fez Siddiqui]

Let me start by saying I do not condone unlawful activities whatsoever.

[Noel King]

These Tesla charging stations were intentionally set on fire.

[Andrew Hawkins]

You can see.

[Terry Gross]

Oh my gosh. A Tesla cybertruck is on fire.

[Sheryl Crow]

Police tell us some of the cars had offensive and hateful comments painted on them.

[Terry Gross]

Seattle fire on the scene.

[Noel King]

It's the vandals. It's also that the stock is tanking. Americans are furious at Elon Musk and they're taking it out on his autos. Coming up on Today Explained.

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[Andrew Hawkins]

Get the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at netsuite.com Vox netsuite.com Vox.

[Unknown Podcast Host]

It's a question everyone has asked at some point in their lives. Now what? And on the propg show, we're finally going to try to answer it. We're running a special series right now where I'll answer listener submitted questions about the best way to further their careers and how to position themselves for success as they consider the next step in their professional journey. It's time to look to the future and stop worrying about the past. So tune in Wednesdays to the propg pod for these special Q and A episode sponsored by canva. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Commentator]

Money.

[Fez Siddiqui]

Oh, so it's a hustle.

[Terry Gross]

Yeah, it's awesome.

[Noel King]

Today explained with Andrew Hawkins. He's transportation editor at the Verge. All right Andrew, let's go back in time to before the inauguration. Messrs. Trump and Elon are tight, but they're not yet co presidents. What was happening with Tesla late last year?

[Andrew Hawkins]

It was really just a phenomenal rally immediately after the election. Sort of, you know, the, the Wall street investors just really rewarding Musk for what they saw as making the correct bet in that, in that election.

[Noel King]

And what has been happening since?

[Andrew Hawkins]

Well, it's been basically the opposite. Tesla has pretty much wiped out all of its gains since the election.

[Unknown Commentator]

What does Elon's involvement in Doge do to Tesla stock? We've seen, you know, a huge run up between the election and the inaug. And then since the inauguration, we've seen Tesla being punished.

[Noel King]

The downdraft coming as CEO Elon Musk takes on a more prominent and polarizing role in Washington than originally thought.

[Andrew Hawkins]

It's a pretty remarkable turnaround since last year.

[Noel King]

Okay, so that's the stock market. What's been happening to people who own Teslas?

[Andrew Hawkins]

You have all of these people who own Teslas, and there are millions of Teslas out on the road today, many of them in the United States, who are deeply regretting their purchases because of Musk's hard right turn, his associations with the Trump administration. But just more than that, right, it's his Persona, his trolling online, throwing Nazi salutes at the inauguration, denigrating DEI and trans people. And I think a lot of Tesla owners now are seeing that and are just are shocked, right, because especially if you consider the type of person that would buy a Tesla. For years it was largely, it was coastal elites, liberal progressive minded people, people who believed in climate change, who thought that by buying an electric car they were decreasing their own carbon footprint. And now they are left with sort of this totem to Musk's hard right turn that's just sort of sitting in their driveways. And I think a lot of them are deeply disappointed. Some have even started selling their vehicles. We saw, I think last month a musician, Sheryl cr, Very publicly sold her Tesla and posted about it on Instagram.

[Noel King]

I think Sheryl Crow either gave the car to NPR or donated the money to npr. Like, she was like, I'm gonna double barrel this, guys, just in case.

[Andrew Hawkins]

I mean, you know, Vox Media is over here too. Cheryl, we'd love to have your donation.

[Noel King]

Hi, girl. So. So not everybody can afford to donate their car to npr. What, what have we seen from people who are like, I don't agree with this gentleman's politics, but I do need to keep driving this.

[Andrew Hawkins]

So you've got a whole kind of like aftermarket accessory market that's sprung up. Bumper stickers saying, you know, I bought this car before Elon went crazy, I hate him too, are some of the slogans that people are putting on the backs of their vehicles. You know, trying to sort send the signal out into the world that, yes, I'm driving a Tesla, but that does not mean that I necessarily support Elon Musk. Support his agenda. I'm certainly not a Trump supporter. We've seen there's been a number of incidents now of people with Tesla vehicles, Tesla owners being targeted for harassment, for vandalism. The cybertruck in particular has become a favorite target of people who are opposed to Elon Musk into Doge.

[Unknown Critic]

Good morning. Your cybertruck is stupid and I fucking hate it.

[Noel King]

So I just found out that everyone hates the cybertruck. I mean, like, I kind of thought that some people didn't like it, but I found out the hard way that people really don't like it.

[Unknown Critic]

And it's called cybertruck. Like, it sounds like a 1980s Wesley Snipes movie.

[Unknown Podcast Host]

People will not just point and give us thumbs down. You know, it became like people screaming out of the car some more, middle fingers, you know, trying to cut us off.

[Unknown Critic]

Think of all of the things you could have spent 140,000 doll on and you chose a bloated DeLorean.

[Noel King]

Why do you think the cybertruck has become the favorite of vandals?

[Andrew Hawkins]

You know, there's really just no other, better symbol for Musk and his kind of like transformation from this, like, guy who's, you know, gonna save the world through electric cars and through rockets and we're gonna live on Mars and all these sort of like high minded ideals that people associate with him early on. And we got all of these. The Model 3 and the Model Y were sort of rounded and cute and very sort of aerodynamic and full of tech that people seem to really like. And then the next vehicle was the cybertruck and it's the stainless steel, low poly, angry triangle. I've heard a lot of people describe it as sort of bulletproof. Musk himself described it as like the perfect vehicle for the dystopia, the dystopian future.

[Terry Gross]

You never know when the apocalypse could come along at any moment. And at Kira Tesla, we have the finest in apocalypse technology.

[Noel King]

You could have just said it's ugly, but I'm glad that you gave. Glad that you gave.

[Andrew Hawkins]

There's that too.

[Noel King]

The context too. All right, so listen, once upon a time, you and I know, as people who did, you know, high school history, Americans used to, in order to get things done politically, Americans used to boycott, they used to protest, they used to refuse to buy products. Are we seeing anything organized, for example, or is it just, you know, Joe Smith here is giving his Tesla away. Cheryl's given hers to npr. Like, is there, is there momentum behind this?

[Andrew Hawkins]

Yeah, well, absolutely there is. There's, you Know, it started in early February with a handful of demonstrations and protests outside of Tesla showrooms and occasionally supercharging stations, you know, small gatherings of people coming out, you know, with signs, you know, and demonstrating their opposition to Musk into this takeover of the federal government. And since then, over the past month and a half, it's really just kind of exploded.

[Unknown Commentator]

In New York, there were arrests after a demonstration at a Tesla showroom last week. In Oregon, the windows of a dealership were shattered by bullets. And in Massachusetts, a Tesla charging station went up in flames.

[Noel King]

The destruction of property here at the Tesla center in Salem is only one example. And a pattern of vandalism against Teslas across.

[Andrew Hawkins]

And now we're seeing, you know, there's been hundreds of these protests now and overseas as well. In Europe and other countries there have been demonstrations. And Tesla has really become a target for people who are watching what's happening on a day to day basis. Listening to Musk talk about, you know, feeding agencies like USAID into the wood chipper.

[Terry Gross]

This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy, trade.

[Andrew Hawkins]

Sore federal employees being forced to list their accomplishments or being forced to take buyouts. Chaos in national parks as park rangers are being laid off. They're fearful of a rise in sort of this oligarchic type movement. And it's really kind of a fascinating thing to me too, because I think during the first Trump administration, it was all about sort of a huge show of force. There was the women's march in D.C. and then in New York and other places, and it was about sort of thousands, tens of thousands of people coming out all at once and demonstrating that this was an election that they disagreed with. Now we're seeing sort of much smaller protests, but spread out all across the country. And it's because these Tesla showrooms are really just sort of like the perfect target, I think, for people in their effort to sort of demonstrate that they are opposed to Musk and what he's.

[Noel King]

Doing is any of this actually denting sales numbers.

[Andrew Hawkins]

So I think it's a little bit too soon to tell whether or not the protests are, are affecting sales. But I will say that Tesla ended 2024 with its first drop in sales. And I think over a decade. And that's because a number of things, there's more competition, right? A lot of the legacy automakers are starting to make electric vehicles now. Tesla is not the only game anymore. And so their market share has been dropping. But it's also because specifically in China, the competition has become really fierce. There's also A lot of other things that are going on. Tesla's lineup is pretty stale. It's, you know, the most of its vehicles that it sell, sells are the Model 3 and the Model Y and they haven't really been updated until just recently. Incentives are going away, right? Trump said he's getting rid of all the EV incentives that Biden put in place. So it's not looking pretty good for Tesla in the near term in terms of like being able to get that stock price up and getting the sales to pick back up as well.

[Noel King]

Have you seen any sign that he is worried about this?

[Andrew Hawkins]

I listened to the earnings calls that they, that they have every quarter. It's been fascinating lately because the topics that he'll talk about have become less and less about cars and more and more about AI and robotics. And it seems clear to me that he's not interested in owning and running a car company anymore. What he really wants to do is to be the CEO of an AI and robotics company. And I think that we're seeing that because the company is obviously trying to pivot to self driving cars, to robo taxis. They've got this cyber cab that they unveiled last year and are planning to start production on in 2026. They've got these humanoid optimus robots that they claim, that Musk claims is going to be a trillion dollar business and they're going to replace warehouse labor and they're going to be home help aides. And he wants it to become this new mission and it's not clear that that's going to be as successful for him.

[Noel King]

And so he believes his future is in AI and robotics. It seems like Tesla's now kind of like the red headed stepchild. It's not as important to me. So he's still very rich. He's even more powerful. By Donald Trump's side, is it possible that Tesla doesn't really matter very much to him? That this, that Tesla being hit in this fashion with the protests and the dented sales and it changing from being like a status card to being like, oh God, it's like a Civic. Maybe it doesn't matter to him at all?

[Andrew Hawkins]

I mean, I think that's a really great question because it is certainly the case that as the world's richest man, how much money does he need to lose for this kind of stuff to matter? Right? So he can, I think that is sort of the crux, right? He can lose $121 billion in the span of several weeks and it doesn't really dent that much. It doesn't really phase him that much. And now he has this inside track on the federal government, this important position in the Trump administration as this special advisor, unelected, unaccountable to anyone basically, except to Trump. It's clear to me that this maybe was the ultimate goal, right? He has his hands on the levers of power in a way that he never has before. It's hard to imagine what kind of effect there would need to be in order to get him to change his tactics when he has amassed so much wealth and power over the past year and a half, half or so, to the point where maybe just none of this really matters.

[Noel King]

The Verge's Andrew Hawkins coming up, what's it like to be a CEO and also unelected vice president? That's never been done before. Elon's Washington Adventure Stay Turned.

[Sheryl Crow]

Foreign.

[Noel King]

For Today Explained comes from npr. NPR has many shows, but today we're going to talk about a little program called Fresh Air. Fresh Air host Terry Gross got a National Humanities Medal from President Obama a couple years back, and he said her interviews push public figures to reveal personal motivations behind extraordinary lives. That is all true. Fresh Air is an award winning podcast and now has two hosts, the great Terry Gross and the equally great Tanya Mosley. Big fan. The show dives into the minds of influential figures, discussing topics like politics, music, fashion, culture, so much more. Selena Gomez, Jeremy Strong, Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown Jackson, Nikki Glaser, Billie Eilish, so many more with daily episodes. Fresh Air has an enormous archive and with Fresh Air plus you can get curated lists of interviews that are relevant for today. If you become a listener, you can stay in the loop and dive deep into conversations on culture, news and all the rest of it. You can tune into Fresh Air from NPR to hear some really insightful interviews. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Fez Siddiqui]

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[Noel King]

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[Sheryl Crow]

Elon Musk has a long history of relationships with the federal government. Both of his major companies, SpaceX and Tesla, have dealt with the government for years.

[Unknown Commentator]

Over the past decade, Musk's company SpaceX and Tesla were together awarded at least $18 billion in federal contracts. That is, according to spending data.

[Terry Gross]

NASA called and told us that we'd won a one and a half billion dollar contract and I couldn't even hold the phone. It's like I just, I just blurted out, I love you guys.

[Sheryl Crow]

SpaceX has received billions in federal contract awards. Tesla is regulated in some ways by the federal government. Its autonomous vehicle ambitions are handled by the federal government. SpaceX is regulated by the FAA. It obviously has an extensive relationship with NASA x Twitter, the social media company that he bought has a history with the Federal Trade Commission. Musk has a long and documented history with the securities and Exchange Commission.

[Andrew Hawkins]

The securities and Exchange Commission sued TEC billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday, accusing him of securities fraud linked to his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, now known as X. Remember, in 2018, Elon Musk, Tesla and.

[Noel King]

The SEC agreed to have some of his tweets pre approved by lawyers at.

[Sheryl Crow]

Tesla and Neuralink, his brain chip implant company, has interactions with the Food and Drug Administration. So there is just a extensive history of interaction between Elon Musk and the federal government.

[Noel King]

So all of that is prior to elon coming to D.C. and doing Doge. Since he's been in Washington, how has he used his newfound influence to benefit his businesses? What do we know?

[Sheryl Crow]

So Elon Musk's empire, the economic engine of Elon Musk's empire is Tesla's stock. At times it has made up more than 1,100 billion dollars of his net worth since election day. And especially in those initial weeks and months leading up to the inauguration, Musk benefited enormously financially to the tune of over $100 billion, largely on the belief that Musk's proximity to the White House would benefit his businesses. There was this idea that suddenly Tesla, which has been ent this years long battle over its autonomous vehicle ambitions with federal regulators, that suddenly the pathway would clear for Tesla to be able to launch these vehicles on the road. And there was this feeling that suddenly all of the regulatory friction, the inertia, that would all clear up and that would be of enormous benefit to Tesla.

[Noel King]

So Elon Musk comes to Washington and his company's stock skyrockets. One might say, well, Elon Musk didn't do that. The market did that. Because the market said, hey, this guy is now a Washington insider. This is going to be great for shareholders. Let's buy Tesla stock. Are there examples of Elon makes a move and as a result his company, one of his companies, gets xyz.

[Sheryl Crow]

So we've reported on the fact that the FAA was reviewing a communications contract, an aviation communications contract previously awarded to Verizon, another company, and examining potentially awarding some of that work to Starlink, one of Elon Musk's companies, or part of SpaceX. And this was happening at the same time that SpaceX employees were operating out of the FAA. So there's this question of, okay, so isn't it the market that's benefiting Elon's businesses, not Elon himself, but the market is benefiting those Businesses on the belief that Elon's proximity to power will clear the pathway for him to unleash all of these ambitions.

[Noel King]

So you talk to employees within the faa, they're aware of what's going on here, that this contract may go from Verizon to Starlink. What did they tell you?

[Sheryl Crow]

There was just this feeling of hesitance and discomfort over the idea that, one, that the individuals working for a company regulated by their agency are now working from within their agency. And two, just sort of like a disbelief that something like this would be happening potentially out in the open. It feels sort of so brash and brazen.

[Noel King]

In the first half of the show, we heard that as you laid out Tesla's share price spikes after the election. But then it plummets as people get frustrated with Elon running around Washington and Tesla's cybertrucks are attacked. So right now, his stock is up and down. And so if we're. If we say, well, is Tesla really going to benefit? Maybe. The answer is to be determined. But are there other ways, other than the stock price that Tesla will benefit from Elon having this close relationship with the Trump administration?

[Sheryl Crow]

So Tesla, for years, has tried to unleash a fully autonomous car on the roads.

[Terry Gross]

When you get in, you'll see, like, it's really quite a wild experience to just be in a car with no steering wheel, no pedals, no controls, and it feels great.

[Sheryl Crow]

And the autonomous vehicles that you see on the road are these sort of rolling science experiments.

[Andrew Hawkins]

This parking lot full of driverless Waymo cars has had multiple incidents where suddenly the vehicles become confused and start honking all at each other.

[Fez Siddiqui]

It's circling around a parking lot. I got my seatbelt on.

[Andrew Hawkins]

I can't get out the car.

[Fez Siddiqui]

Has this been hacked? What's going on? I feel like I'm in the movies.

[Sheryl Crow]

Teslas are consumer vehicles. They would have faced so much pushback against this idea under a different regulatory apparatus. In the one they're seeing now, Tesla is valued as a tech company that is going to be able to realize this ambition and put these cars on the road and deliver them to consumers under the promise of autonomy. And so the company's product, roadmap, benefits from this belief that there's not going to be regulatory interference. And the company essentially gets to sell investors on a story that it's operating outside of the established principles of the business they're in.

[Noel King]

So, Fez, we are less than two months out from Inauguration Day, and clearly there's been a lot of movement for Elon Musk's companies and in the market reaction to them, what does he stand to gain over the next three years and 10 months?

[Sheryl Crow]

Yeah, I mean, there is sort of an unlimited ceiling on what he stands to gain. Of course, there's so much at stake for him. At the same time, what we're seeing, what we've seen over the past five or so days, is sort of unprecedented. I mean, I've doge reined in essentially with Trump telling cabinet secretaries that they're in charge of, you know, cuts to their workforces, not Doge. We've seen one of Elon Musk's rockets, the starship, explode.

[Noel King]

Oh, Is that a SpaceX launch? It looked like a launch.

[Sheryl Crow]

Yeah.

[Andrew Hawkins]

I think it is a launch. SpaceX's massive second generation Starship unfortunately had another failure on orbit that sent it spinning out of control.

[Noel King]

Awesome. They said it did blow up. Oh, it did blow up. That's what Chat is saying. That wasn't normal.

[Sheryl Crow]

X has had what looks like its biggest disruption in years. It's in the middle of a major outage. Tesla's stock is being pummeled. And so there's just this sense that Elon actually stands to potentially lose a lot. The flip side of that is financially, at times, post election, his wealth has been up by more than $100 billion, and there's no ceiling on that kind of thing. His proximity to power puts him in not only a position of great influence over again, you know, the leader of the free world, but it also gives him the ability to benefit his businesses, whether directly or indirectly, in all kinds of ways.

[Noel King]

Fez Siddiqui covers Doge for the Washington Post. He's also author of the forthcoming book Hubris Maximus, the Shattering of Elon Musk, out in April. Devin Schwartz produced today's show. Jolie Meyers edited, Andrea Christian's daughter and Patrick Boyd are our engineers. And Laura Bullard checked the fact facts. I'm Noel King. It's Today Explained.

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