My wife and I drive a Tesla Model Y. We’ve had it for two and a half years. It’s a good car and we like that it doesn’t produce emissions that contribute to a warming planet. I will probably post a blog later with a comprehensive review of the car. For now, however, I want to talk about the surprising and sometimes disturbing thing we have noticed about how other people respond to Teslas.
Bad behaviour towards Teslas
Since owning the Tesla, we have noticed many instances of aggressive and inconsiderate behaviour by other drivers. There have been more of these types of bad experiences than before when we drove an Audi A4. Men in pickup trucks are the usual suspects, but other drivers in other vehicles are also prone to rude and sometimes dangerous antics. People don’t yield when they should, and they find it impossible not to try to accelerate as fast as possible to get ahead from a stop light. This last trick is funny because we could beat any car in a drag race (the torque in electric cars is phenomenal).
Very soon after getting our new Tesla, someone deliberately punctured a tire while our car was parked at a shopping mall. We’ve heard about many instances of vandalism to Tesla vehicles recorded on the car’s Sentry Mode cameras. Tesla cameras have also captured many instances of people showing disapproval with rude and aggressive gestures.
Why do some people hate Teslas?
I wonder what is behind such aggressive behaviour. Some speculate that it is because of the erratic actions and statements of Elon Musk, the high-profile owner of Tesla. I doubt that disapproving of Musk explains most of the bad behaviour, particularly since people in non-Tesla electric cars have noticed the same type of bad conduct.
Another reason may be envy because a Tesla costs more than most other cars. That could be part of the reason, but I doubt if the owners of expensive gas cars are the target for aggression and rude gestures.
It could be that people are just resisting change. We all have trouble adapting to change and we often feel threatened by innovation. I can imagine people who are especially attached to gas burning internal combustion engines believe that electric cars are a threat to their world view. Their hateful reaction to Teslas is driven by fear that their way of life is being be taken away.
Tesla haters feel guilty
In the end, however, I think the underlying reason for Tesla hatred is a defensive reaction to the judgement people imagine they are receiving from ‘smarty pants’ Tesla owners. This probably includes some people who don’t believe that global warming is real, or that burning fossil fuels has any significant impact on the climate crisis. However, I think a larger number of Tesla haters are people who feel guilty about not doing more to reduce their carbon footprint and see Tesla owners as people who are making at least one lifestyle change to be better world citizens.
Final comments
If you drive a Tesla or other electric vehicle, have you had similar bad experiences? If you are still driving a car burning fossil fuels, can you explain the bad behaviour toward Teslas that we have experienced?
Hey Bill- I had no idea of this problem so thanks for posting.We drive an EV Hyundai Ioniq and as far as I am aware we haven’t been targeted but then even my 8yr old granddaughter knows a Tesla so perhaps as you say it’s envy! Who would envy a Hyundai?
I like the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6 looks to be a very good car, too.
It’s hard to imagine some people being so outwardly aggressive towards a Tesla or its owner ! I can only chalk it up to envy or jealousy ! You’re doing your part to help save our planet !
Yes, electric vehicles are part of the way we will reduce our environmental footprint.
No one seems to have the same issue with any other dozens of electric car models available in Canada. This is regardless of price range from Kia through Volvo, to BMW and beyond, it’s just not an issue. Just like your rash generalization of “men in pickup trucks” much of this probably has to do with the ethos of Tesla and the smugness of it’s owners, especially in North America. As John noted above, this doesn’t happen with Ioniq,
So why just Tesla? Because if it looks like a duck, walks, like a duck, and quacks like a duck… guess what, it’s a duck.
I’m not sure what you are saying, Dave. First, my comment about men in pickup trucks wasn’t a rash generalization, it was an observation. Second, I don’t know if people in other electric cars have witnessed an increasing amount of rude behaviour from other drivers, although John hasn’t. Third, are you saying Tesla drivers are all smug and that justifies rude and dangerous driving behaviour. Is that what you are saying with the duck quacking statement?
I posted this almost two years ago. Then Elon Musk was just an eccentric billionaire. Now he’s engineered the installation of the Trump regime in the US and seems intent on installing fascist governments in all countries. We used to get obvious disapproval from rednecks. Now we’re getting disapproval from small minded liberals as well.
We felt so bad about being associated with Musk’s despicable behaviour that we traded in our Tesla for Volkswagen electric car. The Tesla was a good car. We just couldn’t stand the bad association. Where did Elon go so bad?