Tesla, longtime darling of the tech media, is now the enemy.
And, by the way, Elon Musk.
The Verge says: “Tesla sentiment is misplaced and we're looking for angry Tesla owners to back up this claim.
The Verge reported (quoting Musk) and citing a person "in the California energy industry," "I'm getting to the point where I'm going to sell Tesla stock at a loss to deal with him." . .. He has a Model 3.
And a recent article on Engadget focuses on the fact that Musk now allegedly owns Twitter. "There's never been a better time to leave Twitter," says the tech publication.
Suddenly Twitter goes down and a mastodon appears, writes Engadget. [Mastodon] has become "one of the favorite platforms of some of Twitter's most influential and popular users".
Not all Engadget readers agree with this, as many note in the comments.
Echoing other comments, one commenter noted that Engadget couldn't get enough of Musk's positive news for years, indicating a steady stream of positive news about Tesla, SpaceX, flamethrowers and Tesla sunroofs.
Now, as one reader says, the articles focus on "how terrible Twitter is" and criticize Musk's projects.
And not to be outdone, Cnet's history is particularly brutal when it comes to attacking Musk. The irony seems to have escaped the author, who, in attacking Musk, repeats the harshness and some exaggeration so often found in left-wing Twitter feeds.
Los Angeles Times editorial criticizes Musk and Tesla
And in today's media, it's all too easy to find articles or explicit news stories that deliberately seek feedback from Tesla owners who now hate Musk.
Los Angeles Times editorial leaves nothing to be desired: Editorial: I bought a Tesla to help the environment. now i'm ashamed to drive it
In short, it's a shame you own a Tesla because Elon Musk has "clearly turned right," writes John Blumenthal in the LA Times.
"With the recent revelations about Elon Musk's political views, which I hate, I'm starting to worry about what political statement the car is making. Will people see me as a symbol of right-wing ecology, a living contradiction?
On the other hand, some LA Times readers disagree.
Despite being a leader in green energy and electric vehicles (which attracts left-leaning green car buyers), Tesla's popularity has plummeted because "Musk has said things that don't align with Democratic ideology," one Tesla person wrote. in the comment section.
In other words, for some tech journalists, it's less about the car and more about politics (and what their friends might think).
It's not just the share price
The recent stock market crisis hit many of the top tech companies hard, not just Tesla. This includes American electric vehicle manufacturers such as Rivian and Lucid.
So this is not a reasonable reason to suddenly be negative about Tesla.
Twitter's criticism is valid, but many of the most outrageous articles are about Musk's alleged move to the right, not the company.
Tesla will still be very popular (must convince the other side)
Criticism of Musk and Tesla in technology and the media will have little effect on American car buyers.
Where I live in Los Angeles, Tesla has become a status symbol. Four of my immediate neighbors have Teslas, and in the past three months that number has increased to about a dozen if indirect neighbors are included.
A few Musk-hating tech journalists won't change the ingrained consumer behavior of Americans. When a customer chooses a Chevy Bolt over a Tesla, it's the price that counts, not the politics.
Ironically, one of the main homogenous blocs of American car buyers who won't buy a Tesla – or an electric car – for political reasons are conservatives who have long despised hybrids (think Prius) and believe that electric cars like Tesla are meant to be to be used.. Leftists hug trees.
So technology journalists are preaching to the choir, but not to the choir they target.
