Tesla owners dump cars amid mounting hate — but not all is lost

Tesla owners are finding themselves at a crossroads as vandalism of their vehicles and the company's dealerships become more common. Vehicles have been spray-painted, keyed, set on fire and even shot at. While the Trump administration works to crack down on the attackers, many Tesla owners are facing a choice: Risk becoming a victim or sell.

Tesla trade-ins hit a record number this month, according to Reuters, which cited Edmunds, which provides information related to buying and selling cars. Tesla vehicles with model years of 2017 or newer made up 1.4% of vehicle trade-ins during March 2025, compared to just 0.4% in March 2024, Reuters reported.

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Some big names have made their Tesla sales known, including former angel-investor-turned-cannabis-dispensary-owner Joanne Wilson. 

"We are not the only Tesla owners who want to get rid of their cars. Was it Elon’s complete disregard for human beings as he attempts to completely disrupt the federal government like a classic tech dude without a proper understanding of how government works, or was it that awful new cyber truck that looks like something out of Mad Max and looks angry? It is a toss-up," Wilson wrote in a blog post explaining her decision to part with her Tesla.

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Wilson and her husband, venture capitalist Fred Wilson, apparently owned two Teslas. While one was traded in, the other could have a more disastrous fate. 

In the same blog post, Wilson said she was considering putting the other Tesla in front of her Manhattan cannabis dispensary, Gotham, on April 20, and letting people destroy it.

"My partner suggested that we take our other Tesla—yes, we had two, now one—and put it in front of Gotham on 4/20. We could give out sledgehammers, let people smash the car, and film it for Instagram. It may go viral," she wrote.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Az., posted a video earlier this week announcing that he too was parting ways with his tesla. The lawmaker, who is a retired NASA astronaut, said he bought the vehicle "because it was fast like a rocket ship. But now every time I drive it, I feel like a rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people."

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump purchased a Tesla earlier this month to show his support for the tech billionaire. He said the vehicle was "a great product, as good as it gets." He also praised Musk and said he was "treated very unfairly."

"I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "And he's a great patriot. And he's also done an incredible job with Tesla."

The president said that while he likes to drive, he's "not allowed to," likely due to Secret Service protocol. He did, however, confirm that he bought a Cybertruck for his granddaughter, Kai.

Everyday people are also getting backlash for driving Teslas. Two Cybertruck owners who were asked to drive their vehicles in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans left the event with thousands of dollars of damage, according to Business Insider.

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The outlet names the two drivers as Joshua Hazel and Christina G, both of whom were excited to be in the parade and were distraught over what happened. People in the crowd were throwing beads and beer cans at the vehicles while booing and yelling. The glass covering the camera on Hazel’s vehicle was shattered. Christina told Business Insider that people were "pummeling" her vehicle with an object that broke the top glass. The two were able to contact security, but say they were stuck on the hazardous parade route for over an hour.

In the end, Hazel said quotes to replace the shattered glass rim would cost $360 and $7,000 to remove and redo his vehicle’s aftermarket wrap, according to Business Insider. 

Christina was apparently quoted $2,000 to replace the broken glass on her vehicle. While many are selling their Teslas, Hazel and Christina's experience with vandalism made them double down. Christina and her husband ordered a Tesla collectible wind-up Cybertruck and Hazel said he bought even more of the company's shares.

Hazel isn't alone in his decision to buy shares. While Musk had to convince employees not to sell their stock, his fans have been purchasing shares of Tesla even as it plummets.

DataTrek Research co-founder Nicholas Colas told Bloomberg that he thinks people won't forget the fortunes that many made off Tesla stock, which will keep them coming back if "they feel like it has been beaten up."

Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.