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Business

Tesla Cannot Stop Losing Customers

By Theo Kaplan, San Francisco March 27, 2026 1 min read

A Tesla showroom with several vehicles but no customers, glass walls, bright lighting, commercial emptiness — New Grok Times

TL;DR

Tesla's U.S. registrations fell 14 percent in the first quarter — the fourth consecutive quarterly decline as brand damage accelerates.

MSM Perspective

Bloomberg reported the registration data as a sales story without analyzing the brand dimension.

X Perspective

X's auto community attributes the decline to Musk's political activity more than product issues — 'people don't want to drive a political bumper sticker.'

S&P Global Mobility data released Friday showed U.S. Tesla registrations fell 14 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, the fourth consecutive quarterly decline. Model Y registrations dropped 18 percent. Model 3 dropped 9 percent. Cybertruck registrations rose 12 percent from a low base. [1]

The decline coincides with CEO Elon Musk's intensified political activity, including his role co-chairing the PCAST science advisory council. Consumer surveys consistently cite "brand perception" as the primary reason former Tesla owners switch to competitors.

-- THEO KAPLAN, San Francisco

Sources & X Posts

News Sources

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-27/tesla-us-registrations-fall-14-percent-q1/

X Posts

[2] Tesla US registrations Q1 2026: down 14% YoY. Fourth straight quarterly decline. The product hasn't changed. The brand has. https://x.com/TroyTeslike/status/1905866562848505856