Elon Musk no longer cares about Tesla.
That’s the blunt assessment from Esben Pedersen, the company’s former communications manager for Denmark and Norway, who worked closely with Musk for years.
“Elon Musk is particularly good at two things: exploiting people and situations to his own advantage, and then committing 100 percent to what he believes in,” Pedersen told Motor magazine.
But according to Pedersen, Tesla is no longer what Musk believes in.
Shifting Focus, Abandoning Tesla?
Pedersen, who met Musk more than 20 times during his eight-year tenure at Tesla, claims that the billionaire’s attention is now elsewhere — likely on projects like SpaceX, Neuralink, and the social media platform X.
His alleged disengagement comes at a time when Tesla is facing major challenges in the Nordic region. In Sweden, the ongoing labor dispute has led to union-led blockades, making it difficult for Tesla to register new license plates or expand its charging network.
Musk has long opposed labor unions, calling them divisive and comparing them to a system of "masters and subjects."
Despite these controversies, Tesla sales in the Nordics remain strong, though not as dominant as before. The Model Y is still the sixth most popular car in Denmark overall, regardless of fuel type.
But Tesla as a brand has dropped out of the top 10 in national car sales rankings.
While some distance themselves from Tesla due to Musk’s political ties — especially his connections to Donald Trump — others are drawn to the company because of Musk himself.
A survey by Automobilwoche found that one in five buyers would purchase a Tesla specifically because of Musk’s personality, actions, and public persona.
"Maybe We Took Away Too Much"
It’s not just former employees making bold statements about Tesla.
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Technical Director, recently appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage, where he admitted the company may have gone too far with its controversial design decisions — including the removal of turn signal stalks in 2023.
“At Tesla, we have always said that if you don’t take away so much that you have to put something back, you haven’t taken away enough,” Moravy said.
“Well… maybe we took away too much.”
