Elon Musk faces global day of protest from Tesla Takedown activists as EV sales continue to plummet

The Tesla Takedown movement was born out of frustration with CEO Elon Musk's political involvement with President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Many criticised the billionaire, who could soon become the world's first trillionaire, for cutting funding from essential services, including Veterans Affairs and international aid.

Protests continued throughout 2025 as Mr Musk associated himself with divisive political figures, including Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as well as Alice Weidel, leader of Alternative für Deutschland.

The UK chapter of Tesla Takedown, which has quickly become one of the most active protest groups of the wider movement, claimed responsibility for several major milestones.

This includes "putting a dent" in Tesla's electric vehicle sales over the last year, as well as preventing the company from opening a new shop on London's iconic Oxford Street.

John Gorenfeld, co-founder of Tesla Takedown UK, wrote: "This weekend, Tesla Takedowns in various countries are marking the one-year birthday of the movement and celebrating the power of standing up to the Musk's and Thiel's of the world.

"We're back in West London, at 11am, on 14 February. There will be karaoke. Song submissions welcome."

Other protests are taking place around the world, with many celebrating the one-year anniversary with special events.

Targeted action will take place on February 14 in Los Angeles, California, Owings Mills, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia, and St Louis, Missouri.

Many of the protests in the United States have also morphed to include other movements, including action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), oligarchs and billionaires.

One protest in particular will take place outside of the Tesla Diner on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles, and will call on Elon Musk to be fired by the Tesla Board of Directors.

Tesla Takedown generally calls for drivers to ditch their Tesla vehicles, dump their stock in the manufacturers and join the picket line.

Thousands of activists have taken to the streets to protest against Mr Musk and Tesla, which has led to a fall in sales of the once-adored electric vehicles.

In the first month of 2026, Tesla sold just 718 electric cars, marking a huge 50.75 per cent drop in year-on-year sales compared to last year.

Across 2025, Tesla sold 45,513 electric cars in the UK, worth 2.25 per cent of the total market share, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

While this cemented Tesla in its place as the best-selling electric car brand in the UK, sales fell almost 10 per cent compared to 2025.

Its sales also dropped below popular brands and new entrants to the market, including Chinese giant BYD (51,422), Mini (47,328), Renault (65,537) and Volvo (68,776).

As other manufacturers continue to adjust to the transition to electric cars, Tesla will remain one of the best-selling EV-only brands.