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Tesla's reputation in Germany plummets to historic low in 2025 study

Elon Musk's scandals and governance failures drag Tesla to the bottom of Germany's trust rankings. Can the brand recover?

The image shows an electric car parked on the side of a street at night, surrounded by buildings,...
The image shows an electric car parked on the side of a street at night, surrounded by buildings, stores, mannequins with dresses, boards with text, lights, and other objects. The car is a Mitsubishi Lancer EV, which has recently been launched in Japan.

Tesla's reputation in Germany plummets to historic low in 2025 study

Tesla’s reputation in Germany has hit a new low. The company ranked last in the 2025 'Reputation&Trust' study with a score of just 2.48 out of 5. This places it below other poorly regarded firms like Temu and Deutsche Bahn. The decline has been sharp. In Germany, Tesla’s score fell by 0.77 points compared to the previous year. The company now holds the worst reputation among all countries surveyed in 2025.

Poor performance in governance and leadership dragged the scores down. CEO Elon Musk’s controversial actions, including political statements and a nazi salute on live TV in 2025, have played a major role. These incidents have sparked protests, embarrassed Tesla owners and deterred potential customers.

The damage extends beyond Germany. Nordic countries have also seen a significant drop in Tesla’s standing over recent years. The brand’s appeal, once tied to sustainability, has suffered as Musk’s behaviour undermines that image. Tesla now sits at the bottom of reputation rankings in Germany. Its score of 2.48 is classified as 'very bad'. The company faces ongoing challenges as its leadership continues to draw criticism.

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