Furious drivers of Elon Musk's Tesla cars have declared plans to boycott his electric vehicles in future in protest at the US-based tech billionaire's recent behaviour - branding him 'scary' despite previously seeing him as a 'genius'.
Motorists charging their cars in London described the world's richest man as having 'lost the plot', after Mr Musk became a key ally of US president Donald Trump.
Mr Musk, 53, who bought and took over X, formerly Twitter in 2022, has been Tesla's CEO since 2008 - but now has been hit by a slump in the firm's car sales.
The outspoken entrepreneur has also faced criticism for antics including how he appeared to give a Nazi-style salute at a celebration for President Trump's inauguration last month.
Newly-released figures this week showed Tesla sales in Britain and Europe have dropped by 45 per cent.
And there were signs at Tesla 'supercharger' top-up spots in the capital that even longtime Tesla fans were giving the brand a rethink due to Mr Musk's antics - while there have also been rallied in the US urging people to give up their Teslas.
Yet he did also have loyal supporters, with some describing Mr Musk as a 'genius' - and casting scorn on those calling for a Tesla switch-off.
After Mr Trump was last November's US presidential election, he announced South African-born Mr Musk would head a new cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency - also known as DOGE.
Father-of-two Khalid Hamaida is among the British drivers telling MailOnline of plans to stay away from Tesla cars in future due to tech billionaire Elon Musk who is EV firm's CEO
When asked whether Mr Musk's recent actions had made him reconsider wanting to drive a Tesla, semi-retired Doug Frost (pictured in Heston, west London) replied: 'Yes'
Mr Musk has faced criticism over a gesture he gave at a pro-Donald Trump rally in Washington DC on January 20 this year following the US president's inauguration
Since then, Mr Musk has announced an array of department closures and swathes of job losses - including a shutdown of the US Agency for International Development, or USAid.
He joined the election night partying at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, staying in a cottage on the grounds priced at $2,000 per night.
And he was filmed and photographed paying a visit to the president in the White House's Oval Office earlier this month - taking along with him four-year-old son X Æ A-12, also known as X.
Mr Musk has also come under fire for a gesture he made om while addressing a crowd of Mr Trump's 'Make America Great Again' fans as part of last month's post-inauguration events.
Biting his bottom lip, the businessman thumped his right hand over his heart and then extended his right arm out at an upward angle.
The signal was quickly scrutinised online, with critics alleging the gesture was an overt reference to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Mr Musk hit back on his social media site X, saying his opponents needed 'better dirty tricks' and that 'the 'everyone is Hitler' attack was 'sooo tired'.
But there appears to be a growing backlash focusing on his Tesla firm's car models which have been among the most prominent in the EV market.
Elon Musk (left) has been put in charge of a new US Department of Government Efficiency by President Donald Trump (right) - the pair are seen here in the Oval Office on February 11
It was revealed this week how Tesla has seen a sharp decline in sales in Britain and across Europe.
Figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association revealed a a 45.2 per cent sales drop across the European Union, the UK and the European Free Trade Area in January.
According to the ACEA, Tesla only sold 9,945 units in Europe last month - a sharp decline from 18,161 units in January last year - at a time when overall EV sales in Europe are booming.
The company faced a particularly tough market in Germany, where it sold just 1,277 new vehicles - the lowest figure since July 2021.
In France, sales plunged by 63 per cent, while in Britain they slumped by almost eight per cent - despite EV sales overall surging by 42 per cent.
Meanwhile, supporters of Germany's radical right-wing AfD in Germany cheered him at a rally before their party surged ahead in the polls, going on to finish with the second highest share of the vote in last weekend's elections there.
Mr Musk has repeatedly voiced his support for hard-right policies, using his platform X to tout the slogan 'Make Europe Great Again' - echoing Trump's famous MAGA tagline in the US.
Yet recent YouGov polls showed Musk is highly unpopular in both the UK and Germany - with 71 per cent of respondents in both countries saying they took a negative view of the tech tycoon.
Elon Musk, 53, pictured here in Maryland last Thursday, has been Tesla's CEO since 2008
And even Tesla owners who remained devoted to the car for years now say Mr Musk is putting them off from keeping committed to the range.
Doug Frost was once a big admirer of Mr Musk, but says his family life and friendship with Mr Trump have altered his opinion of the businessman in recent years.
When asked whether Mr Musk's recent actions had made him reconsider wanting to drive a Tesla, semi-retired Mr Frost replied: 'Yes.'
Speaking while charging his car off the A4 in Heston, near Heathrow in west London, he told MailOnline: 'I am a nine-year Tesla owner. I got one partly to help the planet and partly because I like gadgets.
'I've read Musk's biography - it paints a very strong picture of a guy with an unusual background who's a near-genius.
'He was always on the cusp of bankruptcy. He's a pretty impressive guy. He has a phenomenal ability to envision the future beyond what most people can do.
'But it also described a long range of character traits which made me think I would want to stay a long way away from him - as he's got older, I think he's completely lost the plot.
'I think he has thought that his technical, scientific, engineering skills can translate into a social environment - where they can't.
British motorist Doug Frost, pictured at a charging point in Heston, near Heathrow in west London, says he will not buy another Tesla car after being put off by Elon Musk
Protests have been held such as this one on Tuesday in Arlington in the US state of Virginia
'Things started to go wrong with the Twitter purchase. He paid billions too much for a company.
'Since then, with his personal life, his relationships and cosying up to Donald Trump - I think he has belief that he has abilities that he does not. I think he's teeing himself up for a fall.'
Mr Frost declared he would not buy another Tesla car - despite having owned three in nine years - because of Musk's politics and behaviour.
His current model, a P100D - described as the world's 'fastest accelerating production car' - cost £140,000 but will likely be his last.
Mr Frost said of Mr Musk's recent behaviour: 'I am off the brand because of it - I won't get another Tesla, mainly because of that.
'When you've been in from the beginning, you have had the bad side as well.'
Fellow Tesla driver Khalid Hamaida, also charging his car in Heston, signed a three-year lease on his vehicle in June - but says that had he known what Mr Musk would go on to do and say, he would have looked for another EV option instead.
Residential surveyor Mr Hamaida, 46, said: 'If it was today, I probably wouldn't have got a Tesla on lease.
Khalid Hamaida (pictured) says he would not have taken out a lease on a Tesla had he known what Elon Musk would go on to do or say in recent months
This anti-Tesla demonstration was staged in Seattle last Saturday
'I just think the way he is at the moment - it's scary and it's going too far, both here and abroad.
'When I saw the other day about the reduction in Tesla sales across Europe, it made me chuckle - I thought, "It serves you right". It puts a smile on my face.'
Father-of-two Mr Hamaida, from Ealing in west London, admitted his new thoughts were 'tricky' as he still has two years on his lease.
But when questioned on whether he would still get a Tesla if looking for a car now, he added: 'I would still get an electric car, I would just look at different options.
'Financially, this was the best option - but, from a moral standpoint, I definitely wouldn't go with Tesla.
'When people are trying to divide society, sometimes you have to make a stand. If it was today, I definitely wouldn't even look at a Tesla.'
Gokan, an Uber driver who has driven a Tesla for five years, agreed - saying of Mr Musk: 'Of course I am not happy. If it was the case from the beginning, I wouldn't have got a Tesla.
'I wouldn't buy one again because of how he stands. He's the most powerful man, he's so rich - he should be on the right side, not on the wrong side.
Tesla sales in Europe have fallen by 45 per cent over the past year, new figures showed this week - here some of the firm's vehicles are seen pictured at a delivery centre in Beijing
'Racism is not acceptable anywhere. We should treat people as humans, no matter their race. I wouldn't advise people to get a Tesla, but everyone has their own opinion.'
Another driver named Simon, however, said he separated Musk's politics from his choice of car - while raving about how much he loves his Tesla.
The 52-year-old engineer, from Gloucester, said of the Tesla boss: 'The guy's a genius as far as I'm concerned.
'I don't look into politics much. I have had the car for two years - it just works. It does everything you need.
'I'm not bothered about Elon Musk's politics. I know he's doing stuff with Trump, but I don't like to get involved with that.'
He added that he felt Tesla models outperformed other electric vehicles in terms of long distance, meaning he has to stop fewer times to charge his car.
Junaid Ahmed, a 44-year-old father-of-two, said he hadn't heard about Musk's recent behaviour and would do some research, suggesting it could influence decision being pondered over whether to buy another Tesla for his wife.
But Mr Ahmed, from Chertsey in Surrey, also insisted he loved his own Tesla car - saying: 'I've had this one since 2023 and have driven Teslas for five or six years.
Elon Musk (right) has been among the most prominent supporters of re-elected US president Donald Trump (left) - they are seen here at a rally in Pennsylvania last October
'I love it. The car is good. What he does and what his politics are? I am just talking about the car. The guy is talented. What he does in his political career is up to him.'
Yet he was more scornful of Mr Trump, adding: 'I can't believe that guy's politics - he's a joke.
'Maybe I will go and do some research. But the car is really nice. I have driven a lot of cars - Audi, Mercedes - but this is the best.'
Richard, who works in television, said he leases a Tesla in part due to its green credentials - saying the environmentally-friendly aura an electric car gives off can be beneficial in his work.
The 48-year-old told how Mr Musk's politics did little to influence his choice of car., adding: 'I heard about Tesla's profits had gone down.
'I lease my Tesla - I've got it another two years. I would consider not getting a Tesla next time - nothing to do with Elon Musk's politics.'
On talk of other people boycotting the brand, he added: 'It feels like a knee-jerk reaction to me - I don't think Musk would give a s***.
'The driving force of me getting a Tesla is not Elon Musk's politics, it's how cost effective the car is.'
Campaigners in London this week plastered a mock-up Tesla advert on to a bus stop, depicting Mr Musk in one of the cars while performing the contentious salute he had gave.
Referencing the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, the text on the satirical advert read 'from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds' and labelled the e-car a 'Tesla Swasticar'.
The activists wrote on their TikTok page: 'Elon Musk just helped the far-right in [Germany] win their best result since WW2 then called them to say congrats. So don't buy his f***ing cars, yeah?'
The AfD won more than 20 per cent of the vote to become the main opposition party in Germany on Sunday.
The result, which saw AfD poll second after the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is the first time a hard-right party has become the main German opposition in post-war history .
Mr Musk congratulated the party, phoning its leader in the aftermath, and predicted it would win the next German elections in 2029.
Meanwhile, a growing number of Tesla owners have been using bumper stickers to disassociate themselves from Musk as his alliance with Trump has strengthened, according to reports.
Matthew Hiller, an Etsy vendor who sells the the 'I Bought This Before We Knew Elon Was Crazy' stickers, told the New York Times that he had experienced a surge in business since Mr Musk started campaigning with Donald Trump last year.
Tesla has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
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