There’s buyer’s remorse, and then there’s remorse-because-I-bought-a-Tesla.
Some folks aren’t content with “I bought this before Elon went crazy” stickers, either. They’ve become more litigious over what they say is damage Tesla’s CEO has done to the brand and their own resale values. Now, we’ll see if the courts agree.
Welcome back to Critical Materials, your daily roundup for all things electric and tech in the automotive space. On today’s docket: Tesla gets sued by French owners who claim their cars are “totems” of Elon Musk’s politics; Volkswagen considers a baby brother for the ID. Buzz; and General Motors is dumping tons of cash into domestic production. Let’s jump in.
30%: Tesla Owners Sue For Buybacks Over Elon Musk
Photo by: InsideEVs
According to a recent report from France24, a group of around 10 Tesla lessees in France have decided that they’ve had enough of Musk’s politics and want out of their vehicle contracts.
The group has reportedly filed a lawsuit over the “direct and concrete” from Musk’s recent political actions which, according to the plaintiffs, have turned Tesla’s vehicles into “strong political symbols” and “veritable extreme-right ‘totems’.” Here’s France24 with coverage on the lawsuit:
They feel they suffered “direct and concrete” damage from the way Teslas are now associated with “Elon Musk’s actions”, the GKA law firm said.
They are demanding the Paris commercial court order their lease contracts be terminated and legal costs reimbursed, it said in a statement, signed by lawyers Patrick Klugman and Ivan Terel.
[…] “Because of Elon Musk’s actions… Tesla branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable extreme-right ‘totems’, to the dismay of those who acquired them with the sole aim of possessing an innovative and ecological vehicle,” GKA said in a statement.
The perception of the Teslas they leased “prevents them from fully enjoying their car”, it said. […] “The situation is both unexpected and impossible for French Tesla owners,” Klugman told AFP.
Now, it’s no secret that Musk has changed the perception of Tesla over the last few months. In fact, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja acknowledged that vandalism and open hostility towards Tesla have “had an impact in certain markets,” something that the brand warned could affect sales in certain markets during a recent quarterly earnings report. While other electric-vehicle brands flourished, Tesla’s sales in Europe (and globally) have been falling. Musk claims that Tesla’s sales are rebounding but investors aren’t so sure.
Even if they have, the brand damage has already been done and now these folks in France want off the crazy political ride. “Musk’s political positions have interrupted enjoyment [of the vehicles]. We believe that Mr. Musk owes these buyers the peaceful possession of the thing sold,” Klugman said. Translation: owners are tired of feeling like they’re being judged while behind the wheel of their Tesla.
This is an interesting legal conundrum to me. It’s not like you can lemon law a car just because the CEO did some not-so-great things. But when vehicles are getting spray-painted, set ablaze and losing their value, is there legal standing to claim damage? I guess we’ll find out if the French courts think so.
60%: VW Is Considering A Little Brother For The ID Buzz
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
I wanted the Volkswagen ID. Buzz to be a success. I really did. In a world where EV minivans aren’t exactly growing on trees, it was refreshing to see an automaker put one out—especially one that’s retro-styled. Too bad it’s so expensive and falls flat on range (though I guess something cinderblock-shaped doesn’t have the best aerodynamics). But if the bigwigs at Volkswagen greenlight a new project, a Baby Buzz could be the real success story we all remember.
That news comes from Autocar, citing people familiar with the project. According to those tipsters, the project is currently undergoing internal review, which means that executives are considering whether or not the idea has viability in an extremely volatile EV market (meaning don’t get your hopes up just yet). But the brand is still considering a more sensible minivan-sized people mover powered by batteries. Hopefully, that means it’ll be cheaper than the Buzz, too.
Autocar explains:
The new model is said to be under internal review, with Volkswagen drawing inspiration from earlier concepts, including the 2016 Budd-e, which was based on an early version of the MEB platform that today underpins the brand’s electric cars.
Sources familiar with the project have told Autocar that Volkswagen recently retrieved various MPV concepts from storage to support internal discussions and presentations exploring how their design and packaging could be adapted for a new production model.
The move reflects a broader shift in thinking inside Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany, where there is renewed recognition that a dedicated family-focused MPV may still have commercial relevance, especially in the European and Chinese markets, amid a flood of SUV models.
Although no production decision has been made, the new MPV would be positioned beneath the ID Buzz, offering a smaller footprint, a lighter weight and a more affordable price. These qualities have led to it being described as a modern-day Microbus.
While the ID. Buzz was an emotional homage to the original VW Type 2 Bus, this new model is said to instead be focused on building something with more usability baked in. The exact design direction is still under discussion, according to the report. But key considerations include short overhangs, a high roofline, upright silhouette and flat floors.
One key takeaway that Autocar mentions is that VW could be looking to modernize what a minivan could be. It’s reportedly looking to the Zeekr Mix for inspiration, which has some pretty cool sliding “double minivan” doors and a unique seating arrangement.
Volkswagen will need to address the elephant in the room if it does manage to greenlight the project: the price. The ID. Buzz, while a hit with enthusiasts, isn’t exactly selling as well as folks imagined. The biggest reason is the perceived price to value ratio. At $60,000 to start in the U.S., it delivers just 234 miles of range on paper out of its ginormous 91 kilowatt-hour battery. Couple that with not qualifying for the EV tax credit, and you’ve got an expensive EV that would be great as a road tripper if it weren’t for that pesky range.
Autocar says that the baby Buzz could ride on either the MEB+ or newer SSP platform and have a battery capacity of between 60 and 80 kilowatt-hours. The drive configuration is also up in the air, but is believed to be either front-wheel-drive single-motor, or dual-motor all-wheel-drive. Hopefully, the pricing will be a bit more attractive than the ID. Buzz, and at least we know it’ll have a more normal name (though I’ll probably keep calling it the Baby Buzz).
If launched, it could potentially begin production in 2027 or 2028. No word on whether or not the project will pass the review stage, nor if it will come to the U.S. if it does. But one can dream, right?
90%: GM Plans $4 Billion Investment To Shift Production To U.S.
Nothing screams “the future of transportation” quite like a legacy automaker pivoting from a commitment of battery-powered cars to building a big ol’ factory for gasoline-powered SUVs. I mean, that’s what GM is doing with a newly announced $4 billion investment into U.S. manufacturing, anyway.
But this is less about how GM plans to advance the future of transportation and more about how to avoid eating a mouthful of tariffs every time a truck or some parts cross the U.S. border. As GM CFO Paul Jacobson says, it’s about being “resilient.” Reading between the lines, that means GM recognizes that EV sales aren’t exploding like it hoped and foreign manufacturing isn’t sustainable thanks to tariffs. The best business decision in the near term? Drop its current timelines and reorganize for viability.
Automotive News tells all:
General Motors’ decision to invest $4 billion into three U.S. assembly plants is a response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs as well as demand for more gasoline vehicles, CFO Paul Jacobson said.
“This is a great example of how we can pivot, how we can adjust, how we can be resilient in the face of an environment that’s changing around us,” Jacobson said June 11 at a Deutsche Bank automotive investor conference.
“A lot of the fear from talking to investors was that the policies that are being enacted by the administration were going to create a significant run on capital,” Jacobson said.
“Four billion dollars is a lot of money, but I think we’ve been able to thread that in ways that are capitalizing on the next generation of vehicles coming in, to do it efficiently, not building walls that we don’t need to build where we can fill plants up, and also keep our capital forecast in line and consistent with where we’ve seen it.”
Let’s break down what’s happening here: GM is reanimating three of its plans with this cash influence.
First up is Orion Assembly in Michigan. Orion itself has been idled since 2023. Originally, GM planned to build EV pickups, but it will now instead pump out gas-powered full-size SUVs (as well as some light-duty pickups) when it goes online in 2027.
Next is the Fairfax Assembly in Kansas. Fairfax is currently offline to prepare for the next-gen Chevy Bolt EV. In 2027, the plant will also be tooled to produce the gasoline version of the Chevy Equinox. GM says that it will also build some next-gen affordable EVs, but didn’t get more specific on models or a timeframe.
Finally, Spring Hill Manufacturing in Tennessee. The onetime Saturn plant will continue to build the Cadillac XT5, LYRIQ and VISTIQ. It will also add the gasoline-powered Chevy Blazer to the line in 2027. The Chevy Equinox and Blazer are both currently built in Mexico.
GM seems to be carefully threading the political needle while still promising cheap EVs and keeping the next-gen Bolt on track for production (thank goodness.) They’re also responding to the market. GM’s customers want big, comfy SUVs—price be damned—and that’s what GM is going to deliver, even if it’s not electric.
Wishful thinking, but perhaps we’ll see some hybrids in that mix.
100%: Can EVs Make Minivans Cool?
Photo by: InsideEVs
Listen, I don’t know if you’ve ever owned a minivan, but those things rock. I don’t even care what you think that says about me, but they’re excellent all-around vehicles. Comfortable for road-tripping, hell-spacious and it doubles as a junk hauler when you want to move something huge and don’t have a pickup.
We’ve recently been getting a bunch of cool electric van concepts out of China. Sure, the U.S. has the VW ID. Buzz, but like I mentioned earlier, have you seen the Zeekr Mix? That thing is rad. Don’t get me started on the Kia PV5 either. Mercedes wants in, too.
Can EVs finally make minivans cool? I say bring it on, it’s about time. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
