(AFP) – Tesla founder Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration has risked isolating the firm’s traditionally liberal customers in its home market, but consumers in US trade rival China seemed largely indifferent on Thursday. China and the United States have already instigated opening rounds of tariffs in what threatens to become an escalating trade war, with electric vehicles and other high-tech products squarely in the crosshairs.
But geopolitics was far from the minds of fans picking up their latest Tesla models from a delivery centre in suburban Beijing on Thursday, who excitedly posed for photos as they received their keys. “I personally don’t pay much attention to politics. We common folks focus more on the brand itself,” said Wang Yu, a 53-year-old retiree, as she inspected her family’s gleaming new black SUV. Tesla’s reputation and after-sales service were far more important than political debate, she said.
Musk has been brought on by US President Trump as an advisor to radically downsize the US government. Some analysts have pointed to his wider political activities — including backing far-right parties in Europe and sharing conspiracy theories online — as a reason for Tesla’s declining sales in Europe. Deliveries in the region fell by 45 percent year-on-year in January.
At the Beijing delivery centre, Gao Yang, another buyer, told AFP he thought Chinese buyers were unfazed. “I think it’s unrealistic to say (his politics) have no impact whatsoever on Chinese consumers,” Gao said. “But for us ordinary consumers, I don’t think the impact will be very huge.” Despite intense competition from domestic brands, chief among them BYD, Tesla remains one of the best-selling EV brands in the world’s largest auto market. The company sold more than 657,000 cars in China in 2024, booking 8.8 percent annual sales growth.
“It’s not that I don’t support domestic brands,” said Wang, the retiree. “But personal preference is the most important factor… I don’t think politics should be involved in the process of buying cars.” That sentiment was shared by Yin Zhenghua, who arrived with family and friends to collect his new white Tesla Model Y. “I think for us common folks, we don’t need to overthink,” he said. “It’s just a tool for transportation for us.” – Luna LIN
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