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Teslas are getting torched in Berlin as surveys show Germans are deserting Elon Musk’s carmaker in droves

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  • Surveys conducted by Caliber and T-Online both show a sharp drop in favorability for Tesla among Germans. Sales in the first two months of this year plunged a combined 71% amid controversy over Musk’s embrace of the AfD as well as a scheduled production shutdown.

In an affluent residential neighborhood of Berlin, four Tesla vehicles burnt to a crisp in the early morning hours of Friday after unknown vandals set them ablaze. 

This latest act of arson to engulf CEO Elon Musk’s cars is now being investigated by a special commission for its likely political motive, according to the city’s police department.

Symbolically it’s another blow to the complicated love affair between Musk and a country that is home to his only manufacturing plant in Europe, located less than an hour away from the crime scenes.

While the four burnt cars are perhaps the most vivid manifestation of Germans turning their back, surveys suggest consumers in Europe’s largest economy are deserting the brand over Musk’s embrace of President Donald Trump and the populist far right. 

“The correlation with Musk’s behavior cannot be overlooked,” Shahar Silbershatz, head of the Danish market research firm Caliber, told the country’s leading business daily Handelsblatt

His team has been polling Germans on their opinion of Tesla for months. In August, shortly after Musk endorsed Trump, 31% considered purchasing a Tesla as their next car. 

That dropped to just 16% in January amid Trump’s inauguration and the scandal around Musk’s stiff-armed gesture that prompted comparisons to a Nazi salute. February does however showed a slight rebound to 20%, according to the paper on Monday.

After a catastrophic January and February, March should see an improvement

That is still far more positive than an informal survey by T-Online last week that asked Germans whether they would buy a Tesla. More than 94% responded ‘no’ while just 3% claimed they still would.

Although it was not conducted with the usual rigor a professional polling firm like Caliber and therefore not statistically representative, it was notable for the fact that a record number participated, with roughly 100,000 voting through the website.

Directionally that suggests the brand is losing ground in Germany, which is tied with the U.K. as Europe’s largest EV market with roughly 380,000 vehicles sold last year.

The latest sales data supports this. In January registrations of new Teslas plunged 60%, a descent that accelerated to 76% in February. 

Part of this is due to the changeover from the original Model Y, far and away the brand’s best-seller, to a slightly newer version that debuted this month. In the process, Tesla’s factory outside Berlin shut down for a period to prepare the assembly line. 

Some customers will have also postponed a purchase in order to wait for the refresh, so March results will most likely see a sharp improvement over the steep plunge witnessed in the first two months.

Images of Musk’s controversial salute may fall foul of German laws

The direction of recent polls suggests Tesla will struggle to claw back lost market share given the growing number of competitor models. A swathe of Germans are infuriated by his failed attempt to install the far-right in power in last month’s election.

It’s a remarkable fall from grace for entrepreneur Musk, who took a big gamble in choosing high wage Germany for the site of his third vehicle factory.

When the country’s domestic carmakers preferred setting up new manufacturing plants in countries like Hungary to capitalize on Eastern Europe’s lower labor costs, Musk invested billions to build his site on a patch of land on the outskirts of Berlin. 

Germany’s often high level of bureaucracy—including the full print out of tens of thousands of pages of permitting applications for record keeping—didn’t deter him. Neither did the opposition from some groups protesting the plant’s impact on the local water supply. 

Yet the Tesla factory, which has contributed significantly to the region’s otherwise weak economy, has become a symbol of Musk, and not just the company. Last month it served as the backdrop to a protest with an image of the CEO’s stiff-armed salute projected onto the building alongside the words, “Heil, Tesla”.

The salute is strictly forbidden in Germany. Even the image itself as a political statement against Musk could potentially fall foul of local laws.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com



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Foreign tourism to U.S. will fall due to ‘polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric’

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Oracle bets big on U.K. AI boom with $5 billion cloud investment

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US tech group Oracle on Monday said it plans to invest $5 billion in the UK over the next five years to meet “rapidly growing demand” for cloud services helping drive artificial intelligence.

“The investment will expand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s footprint in the UK and help the UK government deliver on its vision for AI innovation and adoption,” Oracle added in a statement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to ease red tape to attract billions of pounds of investment to help make Britain an “AI superpower”.

Oracle’s founder, Larry Ellison, is a close ally of US President Donald Trump, with whom Starmer is hoping to strike a post-Brexit trade deal.

“By working with global tech leaders like Oracle, we’re cementing the UK’s position at the forefront of the AI revolution,” Britain’s technology minister Peter Kyle said in the joint statement.

Britain currently has the third-largest AI industry after the United States and China.

Starmer’s administration has estimated that AI could be worth £47 billion ($61 billion) to the UK each year over a decade.

The government had already announced that three tech companies — Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl — would commit to spending £14 billion on AI in the UK, leading to the creation of more than 13,000 jobs.

However, there are concerns that sector-wide implementation of AI could result in job losses as the technology replaces tasks carried out by humans.

The UK is seeking clarification on the application of copyright law to AI, which it says aims to protect the creative industry despite widespread concern among artists.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com



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Here are the best discounts and free stuff you can get on St. Patrick’s Day 2025

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  • St. Patrick’s Day brings plenty of free and discounted food and drink offers. Whether you’re looking to celebrate Irish staples or thinking outside the box, there are plenty of deals.

For many people, the just-ended weekend was prime St. Patrick’s Day revelry. (Retailers, after all, know the value of a weekend customer vs. a weekday one.) But St. Patrick’s Day is actually today, Monday March 17. And many retailers are hoping to lure you in once again.

You’re unlikely to find a free green beer anywhere, but there are plenty of food and other specials and giveaways happening today. Here’s a rundown of a few of the top ones.

7-Eleven

Use the 7NOW app today and you can save $17 off orders of $30 or more by using the code LUCKY.

Applebee’s

It’s not a Guinness, but for $6 you can get a Tipsy Leprechaun made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, melon liqueur, blue curaçao, premium lemon sour, and lemon-lime soda. Of, if you’d prefer, the same $6 will get you a Golden Goose, a shaken cocktail with Grey Goose vodka, triple sec, mango, and lemon sour with sugar rim.

Arby’s

Spend $15 and you’ll get a free Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich today.

Baskin-Robbins

The ice cream shop embraces the green today with Pistachio Almond, Mint Chocolate Chip, or Wild ‘n Reckless milkshakes. You’ll pay $5 for a small, $6 for a medium, or $7 for a large. Also, starting today, the company is launching a buy-one-get-one 50% off sundaes deal through the end of the month.

Biggby Coffee

Save 50% on any Irish Cream drink or Mint Chip Creme Freeze.

Burger King

Get free onion rings (any size) with a purchase of $1 if you’re a Burger King Royal Perks member.

Crumbl

Starting today (and running through March 22), get six full-size desserts for the price of four.

Firehouse Subs

Wear green while placing your order and the chain will throw in a free extra pickle.

Jack in the Box

Get a free Mint Shake with any $10 purchase.

Krispy Kreme

After you get your free pickle at Firehouse, head to Krispy Kreme in your green attire and get a free Glazed Doughnut.

Marco’s Pizza

Pizza might not be especially Irish, but use the coupon code GETFLAVOR to get a large two-topping pizza for $8.99.

Outback Steakhouse

Toast your favorite leprechaun with a Bloomin’ Blonde Beer, with prices starting at $5. (Dine-in customers only, natch.)

STK Steakhouse

Lil’ Corned Beef Sliders with crispy tots are just $6 during happy hour.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com



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