Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, expressed his displeasure towards Kia after seeing a photo shared on social media.
The image was an advertisement for the Kia EV3, recently shared by Kia’s Norwegian dealership on Instagram. Subsequently, Tesla investor, Sawyer Merritt, reposted it on X. The advertisement emerged amid Tesla’s struggles with declining sales, falling stock prices, and an ongoing boycott, and Kia appeared to seize this opportunity to mock Musk.
On Monday, Musk responded to Merritt’s post with a comment: “They really did that?” Merritt confirmed the post’s authenticity, sharing a video showcasing the original post and public reactions. The vehicle in the ad bore a sticker reading, “I bought this after Elon went crazy.”
Norway is a crucial market for electric vehicles (EVs), with 96% of new cars sold in January being EVs. The Norwegian government is actively pursuing a goal of “100% EV sales.” This ad parodies a trend from last year, when Tesla owners displayed stickers stating, “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”
Musk’s recent actions as head of DOGE have drawn widespread criticism in both the U.S. and Europe. His efforts to restructure the federal government and his controversial Nazi-style salute during President Donald Trump’s inauguration have fueled public outrage. The backlash has escalated beyond boycotts, with incidents of arson targeting Tesla vehicles and charging stations.
In the wake of this controversy, Fortune magazine reported on Monday that Kia’s headquarters in South Korea denied approving the advertisement. It was clarified that the Norwegian dealership operates independently from Kia’s central management.
On Wednesday, Merritt updated his X account, announcing that the Norwegian dealership would remove the contentious post.
