Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Manipulating Tesla Survey in Germany

Elon Musk recently drew attention for sharing a manipulated survey that inaccurately portrayed an optimistic view of Tesla’s standing in Germany.

Despite the electric vehicle (EV) market experiencing a robust overall growth of 27% in 2023, Tesla’s sales plummeted by 41% during the same period. This decline has only worsened, with a staggering 70% drop in sales reported in the first two months of 2025.

The sharp downturn in Tesla’s sales can largely be attributed to Musk’s diminishing credibility in Germany, driven by his controversial involvement in local elections and his vocal support for far-right political factions.

“70% of people in Germany would buy a Tesla again”

As consumers become increasingly disenchanted with the brand, a recent survey conducted by T-Online revealed that a mere 3% of German respondents said they would consider purchasing a Tesla vehicle.

Musk’s attempt to reshape this narrative by sharing a version of the survey claiming that “70% of people in Germany would buy a Tesla again” raised eyebrows across the industry.

Investigations have uncovered that 253,000 votes in this version of the survey originated from just two IP addresses in the U.S., suggesting a clear manipulation of the results. Following these revelations, T-Online was compelled to shut down the survey.

With Tesla currently struggling to sell more than 1,000 vehicles a month in Germany, the company’s desperation is palpable. The manipulation of survey results to project a false sense of consumer interest not only undermines public trust but highlights the uphill battle Tesla faces in regaining its foothold in a rapidly evolving and competitive EV market.