Tesla investors hopelessly turn to TSLA board to rein in Elon Musk
Some Tesla investors are hopelessly turning to the company’s board of directors in the hope that they would rein in Elon Musk following growing concerns that he is negatively affecting Tesla’s brand.
Over the last two years, Musk has tested the faith of his fans and Tesla investors.
Many have raised concerns that his behavior since acquiring Twitter could be negatively affecting Tesla’s brand
On several occasions, like most recently when he was trying to bully Mark Zuckerberg into fighting him at his house, Tesla investors have called for the board to act and rein in its CEO.
The board of directors, which is the only body with power over the CEO of a company, has never acted so far.
Now, following Musk’s agreement with an antisemite comment on X, more Tesla investors are calling for the board to suspend or remove him.
Jerry Braakman, president of First American Trust, called for the board to suspend Musk for 30 to 60 days to “send a message”.
He said (via CNN)
“I believe in free speech, but there’s no excuse for spreading hatred by a CEO of a public company.”
He is not alone in calling for Tesla’s board to act. Several other prominent Tesla investors have made similar comments – some going as far as calling for the board to fire Musk.
However, the chances of that happening or extremely low. Not only has the Tesla board never acted on Musk’s more extreme behaviors, they have not even commented on it.
The board is technically independent and is supposed to be acting with the best interest of shareholders in mind. It could fire Musk, who owns less than 20% of Tesla, but the CEO has been known to be very close to several board members and to hold a lot of influence on the board.
Musk’s brother, Kimbal, is even on Tesla’s board.
Electrek’s Take
Alright, this one is a mess. I’m not going to lie. Elon fans will call me a hater, and Elon haters will call me an apologist no matter what, so here we go:
The media is having a field day calling Elon antisemite over the tweet, and this time, it’s hard to argue against it.
He seems to have clearly agreed with a tweet that was tinted with antisemitism.
For those not aware of the situation, the whole thing is about this simple thread:
In short, a Jewish person challenges antisemites to say their antisemite rhetoric “to their faces,” and an X user claims to take him up on the challenge. Apparently, anonymously and online now means “in your face”?
The X user makes a poorly worded argument about “Jewish communities” pushing “dialectical hatred against white” and then seems to blame “hordes of minorities” immigrating to the West on Jewish people.
Elon decided to agree with that moron.
Now, do I believe Elon is an antisemite? No. I don’t think that’s the case. I am not trying to excuse his behavior, but I think it has more to do with his obsession with X and the poor level of communication on the platform.
Elon is at war with the Anti-Defamation League and similar organizations that are attacking X for what they claim is not doing enough to prevent racism and antisemitism on the platform.
Now, I don’t think Elon wants to promote antisemitism or racism on X, but I also don’t think X currently has the resources to manage that properly. And Elon sees the boycott attacks by ADL and others as a personal attack from the left or “woke virus” against him.
When he sees people fighting against that, he supports them, like in this case – even though they are in that fight for different reasons. The nuance of that is not clear on X.
Now, at the end of the day, he is still agreeing with an antisemitic sentiment, which is obviously going to be hurtful to many.
My main concern is that he doesn’t recognize that nor is he apologizing for it. The longer that takes, the more it’s becoming difficult to argue against the fact that he is antisemitic himself.
That’s where Tesla investors should be concerned. He seems to be losing his grasp on reality and critical thinking when it comes to himself and how his cult of personality is distorting the reality around him.
But asking Tesla’s board to do anything is useless, in my opinion. I’ve completely lost faith in them.
Unless they publicly explain their stance on this situation, I think investors should vote them all out at the next election.
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Environment
Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]
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The Oshkosh-built Striker Volterra Electric Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter (ARFF) packs advanced battery technology to deliver ultra-fast emergency response performance no matter how long it needs to be in action — and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport just put six of the awesome 6×6 machines to work!
Oshkosh has been manufacturing ARFF vehicles since it first launched the MB-5 for use by the US Navy back in 1968, and they’ve been pushing the envelope of disaster response performance ever since. The company’s latest ARFF, the Striker Volterra Electric shown here, features a slanted body with front bumper designed for maneuvering through the ditches and rough terrain they might encounter on a damaged runway. It’s also big — but it’s big for a purpose. Because ARFF vehicles don’t have to navigate the confines of city streets, they can be built bigger, carry more water, more rescue equipment, and more personnel than conventional fire trucks.
As the newest members of the DFW Fire-Rescue fleet, these Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles represent a significant step in DFW’s broader plan to replace its legacy fleet with a modern, electrified response system, while also making DFW the largest Striker Volterra Electric ARFF fleet operator in the US.
“Enhancing performance by reducing response times is the key driver of transitioning to these new vehicles,” said Daniel White, DFW Fire-Rescue Chief. “The Striker Volterra vehicles are faster and more agile than our current fleet. Because they are also safe for our firefighters and conscious for the environment, this investment represents a rare win-win-win, delivering operational benefits while ensuring the safety of our responders and the community we serve.”
The Striker Volterra Electric 6×6 ARFF uses a proprietary Oshkosh electric powertrain and an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission (read: CVT) paired to an integrated diesel generator. The setup enables zero-emission electric operation during normal station entry, standby, and low-speed tasks, eliminating firefighter exposure to their ARFF’s diesel exhaust 99% of the time. For sustained high-power demands during active fire suppression, the system seamlessly draws from both the battery and generator, ensuring uninterrupted pumping power and performance without operator intervention.
“Our commitment goes far beyond delivering a vehicle,” said Travis Ownby, sales specialist with Siddons-Martin Emergency Group. “It’s about helping departments like DFW Fire-Rescue lead the way in operational excellence and sustainability. We’re proud to support their mission with the Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles.”
The addition of the Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles also supports DFW’s transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam in line with FAA guidance and the industry’s move away from PFAS-based agents for a more environmentally responsible response capability across the airport.
Electrek’s Take
With the relatively short distances driven and extreme loads involved, airports present a nearly ideal use case for battery-electric vehicles in general, and their immediate off-the-line torque, improved efficiency, and ability to operate much more quietly than diesels (facilitating emergency crews’ communications) could make all the difference in an emergency situation where lives are quite literally on the line.
Plus, as demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines (historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming) are becoming a bigger and bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie when it comes to fossil fuel emissions. Or, as OshKosk put it, “As airports continue to prioritize sustainability and operational efficiency, the Striker Volterra electric ARFF stands out as a forward-thinking solution that meets today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.”
It’s a bit pitchy, but I couldn’t agree more.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Oshkosh.
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