Tesla shares plunge 14%, head for worst day in five years

Stock move and recent history

• Several commenters note the 14% drop mostly erases a post‑election spike; the price is still above a year ago but down over 50% from its December peak.
• Some frame it as “normal volatility” for long‑term holders; others emphasize that relative to the S&P 500 or 4–5 years ago, returns look poor for the risk taken.
• A minority argue it’s just a correction back toward reality, with more downside likely.

Sales, products, and competition

• Dispute over whether global sales are “tanking” due to a Model Y refresh pause versus broader demand collapse.
• One side claims sales have already picked back up; others cite steep drops in European markets and doubt most buyers delay purchases for a refresh.
• Concerns that the model lineup is stale, Cybertruck isn’t a clear hit, and Tesla is less vertically integrated than Chinese EV makers on batteries.
• Some say Tesla is now just a mid‑sized carmaker with excess capacity and shrinking demand.

Musk’s politics, brand damage, and customer base

• Many argue Musk’s open alignment with one party and inflammatory behavior has alienated Tesla’s original “woke/green” demographic and damaged the brand “beyond repair.”
• Others contend fundamentals and hype matter more than politics, or that “Republicans buy cars too.”
• Several worry Musk spends most of his time on politics and social media rather than running Tesla.

Valuation, hype, and the “Musk premium”

• Widespread view that the stock remains heavily overvalued, often compared unfavorably to Toyota, BYD, GM, VW.
• Bulls once justified valuation on robotaxis, FSD, Optimus, and energy; many now call these “vaporware” or severely delayed.
• Debate over how much the stock would fall if Musk were removed: estimates range from modest drop to 90%+ “if the prophet goes.”

Governance, board, and take‑private speculation

• Repeated calls for the board to be replaced for negligence and to fire Musk over pay packages and lack of focus.
• Others think shareholders are trapped: firing Musk might crash the stock and expose the gap between dreams and fundamentals.
• One commenter claims “goal is to take it private,” citing the old “funding secured” tweet; others push back or ask for concrete plans.

Government dependence and subsidies

• Recognition that Tesla has benefited massively from subsidies, tax credits, and contracts; some say it’s “most heavily subsidized” in the sector.
• Counterpoint: other automakers, like GM/Chrysler, also received large bailouts.
• Discussion of a State Department “armored Cybertruck” item that appears to have been just a draft estimate, not a real contract.
• Some predict continued government money over the next four years; others think catastrophic mismanagement has squandered a near‑unassailable EV lead.

X outage, credibility, and SpaceX

• Off‑topic but emotionally important: the same day’s X outage sparks debate over whether it was a large cyberattack (as claimed) or self‑inflicted technical failure.
• Many say Musk’s long record of unmet promises justifies assuming his statements are false until proven; a minority argue that’s unfair and “bigoted” toward employees.
• SpaceX is used as a counterexample: critics say it “blows up products,” defenders reply that Falcon 9 is reliable and Starship failures are normal R&D.

Legacy and broader implications

• Some concede Tesla “un‑killed the electric car” and pushed the whole industry forward, even if the stock now deflates.
• Others hope this episode discourages billionaire “oligarchs” from tightly aligning with a single political faction.
• A few insist short‑term price moves are noise and that investors should ignore election spikes and vandalism/“terrorism” narratives, focusing instead on deteriorating fundamentals.