Kristina Tomasova stands Thursday behind her Tesla at her home in Durham. “It’s a pretty good car, overall, but it feels like driving it makes a political statement I’d rather not make,” she said. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Maine Tesla owners are not escaping the negativity and pressure being felt nationally as public distaste with the company’s owner, Elon Musk, grows.

“Driving it started to feel like a statement, and not one I wanted to make,” said Tesla Model 3 owner Kristina Tomasova of Durham, who still owns the car but wishes she could afford to trade it in.

Tesla vehicles, once coveted by owners for their leading-edge innovation and positive environmental impact, are at the center of a nationwide backlash because of Musk’s high-profile role in the Trump administration beginning late in 2024.

In recent months, Tesla owners and dealerships have endured various forms of vandalism and vitriol, reflecting a shift in public sentiment toward the company and Musk.

An Albuquerque man was recently arrested and charged with federal arson after allegedly setting fire to two Tesla Model Ys and tagging them with phrases like “Die Elon” and “Tesla Nazi Inc.” A viral video out of Dallas captured a man keying a parked Tesla.

Such acts of vandalism around the country and world indicate a growing frustration with what the brand now represents to some.

At the same time, trade-ins of Teslas have risen dramatically, and the value of the vehicles has plummeted.

Tesla’s reputation suffers

The vitriol and vandalism toward Tesla the past several months coincide with Musk’s increased political involvement, particularly his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, which has drawn criticism for its aggressive cost-cutting measures for federal departments and programs.

In addition to property damage, Tesla owners have reported experiencing negative gestures, comments, and assumptions about their political leanings simply for being behind the wheel.

Lake City Exports salesperson Ryan Giroux sits Thursday in a 2023 Model Y Tesla at the Auburn used car dealer. “We are all still getting familiar with these vehicles. We got three and sold one on the first day we had them. This one, with the long-range battery, goes for $25,990,” he said. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

In Maine, Adam Lee, chairman of the board for Lee Auto Group, has noticed a change in how people talk about the brand. Lee said he’s seen a rising number of Tesla trade-ins for two main reasons: a growing competitive market and the discomfort with the associations that now come with owning a Tesla.

“People are flocking to brands that have good lease programs and offers, specifically,” he said. “It’s about the car, but also the perception of what you’re driving.”

Many customers aren’t switching to another EV, Lee said.

“A lot of these people aren’t just trading for another EV — they’re choosing hybrids or other brands altogether,” Lee said, adding that his stores recently had trade-ins with customers opting for, for example, a Toyota RAV4 hybrid and plug-in Jeep.

The 2024 Axios Harris Poll, which measures brand reputation across 100 companies, showed that Tesla slid to 63rd place from its 2021 peak at No. 8. The desire for distancing from the brand is as much about the image surrounding Tesla as it is about the car itself, Lee said.

“We’ve had people trading them in because they don’t want to be driving a Tesla anymore,” Lee said. “They don’t want to be seen driving a Tesla.”

Tesla, once considered the EV market’s peak brand, is facing mounting pressure on multiple fronts, from declining sales and market share to the negative public perception of its brand.

The average trade-in value for Tesla vehicles across the U.S. has fallen by as much as 29% over the past year. The depreciation has been linked to Musk’s politics, increased competition, price cuts on new Tesla models and the resulting surge in trade-ins. Over 13,000 Teslas were listed on Autotrader in March alone, an increase of 67% from March 2024, according to Business Insider.

Despite the decline in value for Tesla vehicles overall, some pockets of the U.S. are seeing stability in trade-in value, specifically on the East Coast and in parts of the South. States like Massachusetts, New York and Maryland still have a demand for Teslas due to charging infrastructures and local incentives, Reuters reported. Federal tax credits for electric vehicles priced under $25,000 is helping to stabilize trade-in values.

In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla reported a sales drop of 8.6%, with 128,100 vehicles sold in the U.S., according to Business Insider’s industry estimates. Tesla’s share of the domestic EV market fell from 51% to 44%.

Financial markets have taken notice, Business Insider said, with Tesla’s stock down roughly 35% year to date. The weak performance on the market triggered a “death cross,” a bearish technical indicator of a stock’s short-term average when it drops below its long-term average. “Volatility,” in other words.

Joanna Linden, center, of Waterville made tombstones and dressed in black March 29 to “mourn” Tesla during the Tesla Takedown Day of Global Action held at the Tesla charging station in the Elm Plaza in Waterville. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel file

Tesla experienced a 250% increase in trade-ins just in March, Business Insider reported. Consumer Reports’ 2025 Automotive Report Card based on 2024 data reported 72% of Tesla owners said they would purchase another Tesla vehicle. However, in a YouGov March 2025 survey, 67% of Americans said they would not consider buying a Tesla vehicle.

‘Dirty looks’

Chris Fournier, a Lewiston firefighter, recently bought a 2024.5 Tesla Model 3 Performance Edition and says he’s thrilled with it.

“It’s very fast, has a great stereo and tech, AWD and is low maintenance. Very sharp and sporty,” Fournier said, adding that the vehicle was a trade-in. “I got basically a brand new car still under factory warranty for $6,000 under book value.”

Fournier said a recent Trump protest on Lisbon Street in Lewiston had him wondering what kind of vitriol he was going to get for driving through while trying to mind his own business. He said he was surprised that the protest didn’t draw him any unwanted attention.

“Everyone was peaceful. I’m unbothered by peaceful protesting and by people giving me dirty looks or flipping me off,” Fournier said. “But I am bothered by Tesla vandalism. I still use an old Lexus sedan when going to restaurants or Walmart, until the Tesla hate dies down.”

Still, public reaction has made him more cautious and he feels the more extreme reactions of vandalism and arson are plain stupid.

A member of the Seattle Fire Department inspects a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot March 10 in Seattle. AP photo

“What’s the point? They don’t know me! I’m a good person, why destroy my car? Elon already got paid,” Fournier said. “If someone breaks something on my car, I’ll be bringing it to the Tesla dealer and giving Elon money to fix it.”

While Fournier takes his Model 3 out for spins, some owners are far more wary of driving in public.

Durham owner Tomasova said the public tension has become personal. “It’s a pretty good car, overall, but it feels like driving it makes a political statement I’d rather not make.”

‘I’m not some Elon fan’

Tomasova still owns her Tesla, which she purchased in late 2020, but wishes she didn’t. “It’s just not affordable for me right now to trade it in.”

Her frustrations go beyond perception. Tomasova said she’s dealt with minor issues like rodent damage to the wiring and a shattered windshield and the hassle of repairs that go with that, but the final straw was cultural.

“It has a bit of a macho feel to it, which I don’t care for. But the big reluctance came when Elon got closer to Trump,” Tomasova said.

She recalled one incident, which rattled her, when a stranger gave her a “finger wave” while she was parked. Undeterred, Tomasova resorted to DIY branding to send a message to would-be vandals: She applied a Calvin sticker peeing on the word “Elon” to the back window of her car.

“My dad calls it a ‘charm,’” Tomasova said. “Something to protect the car, to show that I’m not some Elon fan.”

The sticker on the back of Kristina Tomasova’s Tesla, seen Thursday at her home in Durham, sends a message. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

One former Tesla owner who asked not to be named shared similar misgivings about the brand.

“I absolutely adored the car,” said the Massachusetts native who frequents Bridgton. “It was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.”

He said the car’s value, technology and user experience were among many of his former car’s many strengths. However, he ultimately traded it in for a Rivian, an electric truck, after becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Musk’s political presence.

“At some point, it just became too polarizing,” he said. “You could feel that owning one was becoming a political statement. That’s not what I signed up for.”

Like Tomasova, he didn’t experience direct hostility, but the atmosphere became more charged with Musk’s involvement in politics.

“It was hard to separate the car from the brand,” he said, “and the brand from Elon.”

For those who can afford to ditch their Tesla, the simple solution to avoiding drama out on the street and in the parking lot is finding a different and possibly better ride.

Lee, who drove a Tesla for a decade himself, said that while the company once stood at the forefront of EV innovation, its dominance has eroded as more automakers enter the space.

“There are so many good options now,” he said. “Loyalty to Tesla just isn’t what it used to be.”