Rossmann, one of Europe’s largest chains of chemists, has announced it will no longer buy Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) for its company fleet because of the support shown by the US electric vehicle maker’s chief Elon Musk for presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
The German drugstore company said its decision would be implemented with immediate effect and was caused by what it called an “incompatibility” between statements by Musk and the values it said Tesla was supposed to represent.
“From now on, Rossmann will no longer be buying Tesla vehicles for its fleet. This decision is based on the incompatibility between the statements made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the values that Tesla represents with its products,” the group said in a statement on August 6.
“Elon Musk makes no secret of his support for Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax — this stance is in stark contrast to Tesla’s mission to contribute to environmental protection through the production of electric cars,” said Raoul Rossmann, CEO and board spokesman for the company.
On July 14, Elon Musk “fully endorsed” Trump on X after the former US president was targeted in an assassination attempt.
I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024
Tesla’s chief also confirmed on X that he would financially support Trump’s presidential campaign.
The German drugstore company owns 34 Teslas within its fleet of 800 vehicles, according to Bloomberg.
Rossmann said it will continue to use the Tesla EVs already in its possession for “sustainability reasons” but will soon turn to other manufacturers and models.
According to the company’s website, it achieved a 14.4 per cent sales growth across Europe in 2023, rising from €12.15 billion to €13.9 billion.
The firm operates more than 4,000 stores across Europe, with 2,288 located in Germany.
