Tim Ryan didn’t buy a Tesla for political reasons.

The executive director of Innovate Hampton Roads said since 2018, he has owned six vehicles from the company, including a Cybertruck. Each family member uses one as a daily vehicle. His home in Yorktown has been converted to solar, so having an electric car was an easy choice, he said.

“When I got my first Tesla, the thing that drove me to initially was just the innovation behind what they were doing,” he said. “I mean, it really is like driving a rocket ship, from that standpoint, and the fact that it’s American-made. It’s the safest car that has ever been tested, and safety is just always been something that has been really, really important to to me and my family.”

But that was before Tesla CEO Elon Musk spearheaded the Trump administration’s efforts to slash government agencies, and he and the company became a political lightning rod.

The brand has become an accidental political symbol, and Tesla owners, regardless of when or why they bought the cars, have dealt with vandalism and hostile behavior from those angry over Musk’s actions. Some Tesla owners have resorted to sarcastic bumper stickers to distance themselves from the new stigma — with phrases such as “I bought this before Elon went crazy” or “I just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.”

A Tesla parked in Norfolk, Virginia in March of 2025 sports a bumper sticker that reads “I bought this before Elon went crazy.” (Andrea Noble / Staff)

While he has not faced blatant hostility for driving a Tesla, Ryan said he has had some interesting interactions on the road.

“Every once in a while we’ll get a middle finger or someone will make a point to drive up next to us and flip us off or give us the thumbs down symbol, but that’s it,” he said. “That’s pretty isolated.

“There was nothing political about this when we purchased these, and there’s certainly nothing political about it now.”

But others do see the cars as an unwelcome political symbol, and have singled out the company as target.

Hampton Roads’ lone Tesla dealership is in Norfolk. The location on Military Highway has become a site for protests each Saturday organized by a coalition of progressive groups. The Tesla Takedown events are part of a nationwide movement, with demonstrators showing up at dealerships across the country.

“It’s definitely a growing movement,” organizer Rebecca Head said during a March protest in Norfolk. “Hundreds of people honking in support and cheering us on. This area is very much impacted by what’s happening with federal workers and our military bases. It’s really something that I think is very near to our hearts in this community.”

For the past five weeks, dozens of demonstrators of all ages gathered on the side of the road in front of the Norfolk dealership, with some signs saying “Your Tesla paid for fascism” and “Beware of Doge.”

As the group stands together, supportive drivers honk in support. Clayton Lory with South Hampton Roads Indivisible said the demonstrations have been “a victory.” He said the April 19 event will be the last Tesla Takedown so the group can move on to other issues, such as immigration and supporting progressive candidates in upcoming elections.

The activism targeting Tesla has had some impact, at least on Musk’s bottom line. Tesla stock remains down by about 47% from the highs seen in December, and there’s scope for further declines. The company reported 336,681 vehicle deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, a 13% decline from a year ago. Musk told a town hall in Wisconsin that his role in DOGE has been “a very expensive job,” but the stocks are currently “a buying opportunity.”

“What (the protesters are) trying to do is put massive pressure on me, and Tesla I guess, to you know, I don’t know, stop doing this,” Musk said in March. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone, went roughly in half. I mean it’s a big deal.”

Virginia has seen a recent decline in Tesla sales, though that could be due in part to more competition in the electric and hybrid vehicle market.

In 2023, there were 15,873 new Teslas sold in Virginia. About 850 fewer new Teslas were sold in 2024, according to the latest date from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. When comparing the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025, Tesla’s share of the state’s EV market declined. Hybrid vehicle sales grew 58.6%, to nearly 14,000 new hybrids on Virginia roadways.

Despite political movement against the brand, Ryan said as an owner, he isn’t worried about personal backlash. Since Teslas have cameras that record all around the vehicle, anyone looking to do anything detrimental would be recorded the whole time. So Ryan said he does not have any concerns about his vehicles being vandalized.

“One of the things that I am really pleased about is that this area seems to be a lot more open minded (than other parts of the country),” he said.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

Originally Published: April 19, 2025 at 8:39 AM EDT