Matthew LaBrot, a تيسلا sales employee, was terminated on April 25, 2025, just one day after launching a website protesting CEO إيلون ماسك‘s leadership, according to a Business Insider report. LaBrot’s dismissal highlights Tesla’s ongoing struggles with employee dissent and a declining brand image amid Musk’s controversial political involvement, which has sparked protests and a 13% drop in first-quarter deliveries compared to the previous year.

The Protest and Immediate Firing

LaBrot, a Tesla employee since 2019, created teslaemployeesagainstelon.com on April 24, 2025, to voice frustration over Musk’s political actions and their impact on Tesla’s sales. The site, backed by a group calling themselves “Tesla Employees for a New Chapter,” argued that Musk’s behavior—particularly his $277 million donation to support Donald Trump and a controversial salute at Trump’s January 2025 inauguration—has alienated customers. “Consumers aren’t walking away from Tesla because they are losing interest in EVs. […] But because people no longer want to associate with Elon,” the website stated. On April 25, LaBrot drove his سايبرتك سايبرتك, emblazoned with “Pro Tesla, Anti Elon” slogans, to a Tesla protest in كاليفورنيا. Less than 24 hours later, he was fired.

This isn’t the first time Tesla has swiftly terminated employees for dissent. In 2021, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Tesla illegally fired worker Richard Ortiz for union organizing, ordering his reinstatement with back pay. Tesla’s history of retaliation raises questions about its tolerance for internal criticism, especially as employee frustration grows.

Sales Impact and Customer Backlash

LaBrot’s protest aligns with broader challenges for Tesla. First-quarter deliveries in 2025 dropped 13% year-over-year, with California registrations falling 15%. Meanwhile, U.S. EV sales grew 10% in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, per Cox Automotive, while Tesla’s sales declined 9%. LaBrot noted that Tesla expected a sales surge by the end of 2024 but faced a “lackluster summer” instead. “By election time, we really started to realize that these customers we’d expected to see weren’t coming,” LaBrot told Business Insider. Tesla’s aggressive sales promotions failed to reverse the trend, as customers increasingly associate the brand with Musk’s polarizing actions rather than its electric vehicles.

The refreshed الموديل Y, launched on May 6, 2025, with an estimated range of 330 miles, has struggled due to production delays. LaBrot highlighted that the updated vehicles weren’t widely available for customers to experience until late in the quarter, leaving thousands unsold in lots nationwide. This inventory surplus signals a demand problem, not a production one, as Tesla’s leadership grapples with a shifting public perception.

Employee Movement and Leadership Tensions

LaBrot’s website calls for Musk’s removal as CEO, stating, “Tesla is ready to move forward. And we’re ready to move forward without Elon as CEO.” This sentiment reflects a growing divide within Tesla’s workforce. Employees argue that Musk’s focus on politics—such as his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has pushed to slash federal jobs—has damaged Tesla’s mission to advance sustainable energy. Protests outside Tesla facilities, part of the “Tesla Takedown” movement, have escalated since January 2025, with hundreds rallying against Musk’s influence.

Tesla’s response to dissent has been consistent: swift termination. LaBrot’s firing echoes past incidents, like the 2023 dismissal of 37 workers in Buffalo after a union drive, as reported by the National Labor Relations Board. These patterns suggest Tesla prioritizes silencing criticism over addressing employee concerns, a strategy that may further erode internal morale.

EVXL’s Take

For EV enthusiasts, LaBrot’s story hits like a Cybertruck at a charging station—hard and fast. Tesla’s tech, from the Model Y’s 330-mile range to its شبكة الشاحن الفائق, still leads the pack, but Musk’s political stances are draining the battery on customer loyalty. LaBrot took a stand, and while his firing might feel like a scene from a corporate dystopia, it’s a wake-up call for Tesla. If the company wants to keep its spot as the EV king, it might need to ditch the drama and refocus on what made it great—building cars, not headlines. Otherwise, Tesla risks becoming the Hummer of the 2020s: a symbol of excess, not progress.

Photo courtesy of Cayce Clifford / Business Insider