Elon Musk has repeatedly denied that the fact that he went “all-in on Donald Trump,” the controversial former president, is negatively affecting his businesses. Now, he went as far as claiming that Tesla’s sales are at ‘all-time highs.’
During an X Space yesterday, the Tesla CEO was asked what he thinks of the claims that his support of Trump is affecting Tesla negatively.
Musk responded:
Tesla’s sales are actually doing great. We’re hitting all-time highs. I think people really care about the quality of the product as opposed to whether they agree or disagree with the CEO’s views. The CEO of any given company is going to have political views. At the end of the day what matters is if Tesla makes a great product, and people like buying great products.
There are a few interesting things here.
First off, “sales are hitting all-time highs.” There are many ways to interpret this, but only one can make Musk right: Tesla had its best Q3 for vehicle deliveries last quarter:
With 463,000 vehicle deliveries last quarter, Tesla technically beat its last Q3 record, but the reason has more to do with Q3 2023 than 2024.
Tesla claimed that “a sequential decline in volumes was caused by planned downtimes for factory upgrades.” Without that, Tesla would have likely been flat on deliveries in Q3 2024 versus last year.
This delayed some shipments into Q4 2023 – resulting in Tesla’s all-time delivery high.
But Musk can’t deny that Tesla’s performance in 2024 has been less than stellar.
Tesla’s total deliveries in 2024 (1,293,656) are still down more than 30,000 units compared to the first three quarters in 2023 (1,324,074).
That’s despite Tesla adding the Cybertruck to the lineup, which started to contribute meaningfully last quarter. It’s hard to swallow for a company that is all about growth. The chart above shows that the growth between 2020 and 2023 was awe-inspiring, but it stopped in 2024.
Tesla’s stock performance is also closely tracking its growth in deliveries and then the stagnation:
In 2023, Tesla started cutting prices, which negatively affected its gross margins and profits, and it countered the growth in deliveries in terms of stock performance.
As for the impact of Musk’s very active and public support of Trump on Tesla’s sales, that’s indeed more nuanced.
There have been many polls about the issue showing that car buyers are less interested in buying Tesla vehicles due to Elon Musk, but it’s hard to tell how the polls translate into the reality of car purchases, which are important decisions for most households.
However, there have been direct examples of Tesla losing out on sales because of Musk’s support of Trump. For example, Rossmann, one of the largest pharmacy chains in Europe and a long-time Tesla client, said that it would stop converting its fleet to Tesla vehicles because of Musk’s support of Trump and the former president’s anti-environmentalist policies.
Electrek’s Take
It’s not really encouraging that Elon is oblivious to Tesla’s current situation. I feel like it’s a bit misleading to say that Tesla’s sales are “hitting all-time highs” when Tesla is on track to have its first down year in deliveries in its existence despite adding a vehicle to its lineup for the first time since 2020.
It’s almost like he is just repeating what his biggest fans on X tweet him all the time. He lives in a different reality because of the echo chamber he built for himself and his fans on X.
I know Tesla fans love to say that it’s about macroeconomics and interest rates, which undoubtedly have an impact, but Tesla also greatly reduced its prices over the last year and offered subsidized interest rates.
At this point, it’s a bit ridiculous to act as if Tesla doesn’t have a broader issue. As for the impact of Elon’s support, it’s admittedly impossible to quantify, but I feel like it’s safe to say that it has, at the very least, some impact.
Finally, it’s also unfair for Elon to say that “every CEO has political views” as if he is sharing his like everyone else. Not every CEO calls the other party, “the party of hate”, and gives millions of dollars to elect a candidate with a long track record that goes against Tesla’s mission to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy.
CEOs also don’t all go on the campaign trail and get photographed jumping up and down like high school cheerleaders behind Trump.
Whatever happens next month, I doubt Elon’s decision will age well. Even if Trump wins, I would be shocked if he doesn’t turn on Elon within a year.
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In a bid to keep up with the rapid growth of EVs, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT is currently seeking public feedback on a plan called “Chicago Moves Electric Framework.” The city’s first such plan, it outlines initiatives that include a curbside charging pilot through the city’s utility, ComEd, and expanded charging access in key areas throughout the city.
Unlike other such plans, however, the new plan aims to focus on bringing electric vehicle charging to EIEC and low income communities, too.
“Through this framework, we are setting clear goals and identifying solutions that reflect the voices of our residents, communities, and regional partners,” said CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney. “By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago.”
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Neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago experience a disproportionate amount of air pollution and diesel emissions, largely due to vehicle emissions according to CDOT. Despite that, most of Chicago’s public charging stations are clustered in higher-income areas while just 7.8% are in environmental justice neighborhoods that face higher environmental burdens.
“Too often, communities facing the greatest economic and transportation barriers also experience the most air pollution,” explains Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By prioritizing investments in historically underserved areas and making clean transportation options more affordable and accessible, we can improve both mobility and public health.”
The Framework identifies other near-term policy objectives, as well – such as streamlining the EV charger installation process for businesses and residents and implementing “Low-Emission Zones” in areas disproportionately impacted by air pollution by limiting, or even restricting, access to conventional medium- and heavy-duty vehicles during peak hours.
The Chicago Moves Electric Framework includes the installation of Level 2 and DC fast charging stations in public locations such as libraries and Chicago’s Midway Airport, “supporting not only personal EVs but also electric taxis, ride-hail and commercial fleets.”
Chicago has a goal of installing 2,500 public passenger EV charging stations and electrifying the city’s entire municipal vehicle fleet by 2035.
Electrek’s Take
ComEd press conference at Chicago Drives Electric, 2024; by the author.
Bodo G-Wagon electric golf cart; via Mecum Auctions.
With a fully-enclosed, G-Wagen-inspired body and an 80 mile electric range, the Bodo G-Wagon golf cart is the NEV you need when you decide it’s time to get serous one-upping the rest of the Palm Beach country clubbers.
The shiny black 2024 Bodo G-Wagon sold at Mecum Auctions last month for $31,900, which seems like it might not be a lot of money to the sort of person who decides to take a flyer on a goofy, limited-use EV that ships with real, metal doors, power windows, heating and air conditioning, fully digital instrument cluster and infotainment, and a “posh,” caramel leather interior.
It even has windshield wipers, power steering, and a rear-seat entertainment system that’s built into the front headrests!
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It’s really nice in there
Under the hood, the Bodo packs a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor drawing power from a 10 kWh li-ion battery that won’t deliver a scorching 0-60 mph time (it only goes 35), but will deliver you and your buddies from one end of any golf course in North America and back several times over, thanks to the G-Wagon’s 80 mile range.
The official Mecum Auctions listing goes into a bit more detail, and I’ve included it here, in case it gets deleted after a while and you’re just finding this for the first time in 2027:
Be the envy of any country club or golf community showing up with this 2024 Bodo G-Wagon Golf Cart. Perhaps more appropriately known as an E-Wagon, this baby G-Wagon is powered by a 15kW motor with a 10kWh lithium battery. Boasting an 80-mile range and a 35 MPH top speed, the Bodo is an enclosed, luxury golf cart that pampers occupants with heating and air conditioning, rear-seat entertainment, power windows, power locks and a posh, caramel-colored interior. With the Bodo fitted with power steering and 4-wheel power disc brakes with brake boost, drivers will think they’re in a full-size G-Wagon, thanks to the multiscreen entertainment cluster, the rearview camera, windshield wipers, turn signals, running lights and so much more.
Finished in black with the right amount of brightwork, the overall vibe is one of jaw-dropping, smile-inducing fun. While the Bodo would be an excellent choice for any golf community, it should also prove to be hugely popular around a race track or car condo community as well, or maybe even a neighborhood with its own airplane runways. Over the past decade in particular, the demand for unique, luxury golf carts has been on the rise, and understandably so. The number of luxury communities with specific interests in sports, aero and auto has also been on the rise, with people buying homes in these exclusive locations to better engage with like-minded people. All too often a golf cart is the perfect way to get around these gated neighborhoods, and this one is enclosed, comes with the amenities of a full-size car and is infinitely more stylish.
You can check out a few more photos of the 2024 Bodo G-Wagon golf cart that sold at Mecum, below – and if you want one for yourself, you’re in luck! I found this brand-new 2025 “G600 E-Wagon” (in white) for $23,900 at Gulf Carts in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Head on down to the comments and let us know if you buy it.
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The Hyundai IONIQ 5 got a raft of upgrades and sporty, rally-focused XRT trim level for 2025 – but the biggest upgrade for the Made in America Hyundai might be this: the 5 has regained eligibility for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit!
Despite being assembled at Hyundai’s Georgia meta plant for the last four month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was nowhere to be found on the EPA’s list of rebate-eligible vehicles. But that was then – with a fresh updated to the list coming online May 1st, Hyundai’s new-age electric hot hatch is back in the rebate game.
As if to celebrate, Hyundai announced that it was taking on the celebrate One Lap of America road rayy and race event in a factory collaboration with the track-focused enthusiasts at Grassroots Motorsports this week with One Lap veterans Andy Hollis and Tom Suddard campaigning a stock, 601 hp 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N in the Alternative Fuels class.
“After winning our class in a gutted, caged race car last year, we wanted to compete in the best-of-all worlds this year: A vehicle that’s incredibly fast, incredibly comfortable on a road trip, and incredibly capable on a racetrack,” explains Suddard. “Electrification means it’s finally possible to have huge power without huge compromises in a street car, and the IONIQ 5 N promises to pair that huge power with the durability and capability to survive a week of racing.”
One Lap is widely regarded as one of the toughest street-legal motorsports events in the world, pitting amateur and professional drivers alike compete in stock and heavily modified vehicles of every description, battling it out in a series of scored challenges, including timed events at road courses, drag strips, skid pads, and autocross courses.
In between tracks, competitors safely travel thousands of miles around the country, proving the mettle and durability of the vehicles and the teams that drive them. This year, 86 teams from all over the country will compete in 17 scored events over the course of eight days at tracks like Virginia International Raceway and NCM Motorsports Park.
The Tire Rack One Lap of America is currently underway – you can track the Hyundai’s progress here, then let us know what you think of this new tax development in the comments.
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