The Tesla dilemma: Can you love the cars and batteries but loathe the man?

Last weekend, I found myself at a gig in Adelaide watching “The Smythes” – a tribute band to The Smiths. As I stood there with my Coopers enjoying “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”, I thought of the blackout protection I enjoy thanks to my Powerwall 2.

Yes even at gigs, I can’t help thinking about bloody solar energy.

Then it struck me: Here I was, gleefully singing along to songs that still bring immense joy in 2025, while their original creator, The Smiths’ frontman Morrissey, has become someone whose views I can’t stomach.

This is the same Morrissey who in 2019 performed wearing a far-right For Britain badge and claimed: “everyone ultimately prefers their own race.”

Many Aussie consumers are wrestling with a similar reality: Tesla makes exceptional products that have genuinely accelerated the world’s electrification, but Elon Musk’s behaviour has become increasingly difficult to defend.

The man who once teared up when he learned of energy poverty in Australia now spends his days spreading conspiracy theories and making inflammatory statements without bothering to check their accuracy or worry about the human consequences.

So, what’s a conscientious Australian energy nerd to do?

First up, it’s perfectly okay to loathe Elon and love Tesla. We progressives often get caught between being right and being effective.

Yes, Musk may have taken too much credit from the brilliant engineers who built these products. Yes, his constant ‘war mode’ state is hard to stomach.

But it’s hard to deny that without Tesla’s innovation, we wouldn’t have the EV market we have today. Tangible progress often comes from imperfect vessels.

Equally, it’s absolutely valid to boycott Tesla because you can’t bear the thought of adding to Musk’s wealth.

Personally, I’m living this dilemma. I own two Teslas EVs and a Powerwall; they’re great.

But would I buy another Tesla energy product while Elon’s at the helm? Probably not. The competition has finally caught up, and there’s enough choice that the home energy storage market no longer needs Tesla to thrive.

Cars, though? That’s trickier.

As a cyclist who’s lost dear friends to car accidents and faces weekly near-misses with human drivers, I’m desperate to see autonomous vehicles become reality. I believe Tesla, for all its faults, is leading this race. Their autonomous driving technology could save millions of lives.

So here I am, still enjoying my Smiths playlist while refusing to buy Morrissey’s solo work. Still driving my Tesla while cringing at Elon’s latest tweets.

Sometimes progress comes packaged with paradox, and that’s okay. What matters is that we keep moving forward, preferably in a sun-powered EV — whoever makes it.

Finn Peacock is the founder of Solar Quotes