Overview

• Berlin’s Work Senator Cansel Kiziltepe referred to Teslas as ‘Nazi cars’ in a social media post, causing significant backlash.
• Brandenburg’s Economy Minister Daniel Keller called the remark ‘historically unacceptable’ and demanded a retraction, emphasizing the comment’s harm to Tesla employees.
• Keller highlighted Tesla’s Grünheide factory as Brandenburg’s largest employer, providing 11,000 well-paid jobs, with over half of the workforce residing in Berlin.
• The dispute underscores divisions within the SPD over balancing moral criticism of Elon Musk’s political affiliations with Tesla’s critical economic role in the region.
• Tesla’s recent financial struggles, including revenue and profit declines, have coincided with global protests and boycotts tied to Musk’s support for far-right politics.