Discover the viral TikTok trend #ByeTesla, where drivers are trading in their Teslas for new electric vehicles like Rivians and Hummers.
Image: Willian Cittadin/Unsplash; ANDRE DIAS NOBRE/AFP via Getty Images
The old Tesla can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ‘cause she’s dead.
Over the past few days, a new trend has emerged on TikTok: people are posting their Tesla trade-ins accompanied by the hashtag “ByeTesla” and soundtracked to Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.”
In the videos, the Tesla driver backs out of a driveway as the lyrics play: “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead.” Cut to a brand-new Rivian R1S, Porsche Macan Electric, or even a GMC Hummer EV SUV as the song’s chorus plays: “Look what you made me do.”
“The best upgrade I’ve seen in this trend,” one person commented on the video posted by the proud owner of a new Porsche Macan Electric, which retails for $75,300. “Talking about an upgrade!!! To go from that cheaply built plastic toy car to German engineering is quite the change!! Enjoy!” Another user wrote: “Never skip a Tesla trade-in video.”
The new GMC Hummer EV SUV driver—which starts at about $98,845, compared to the Cybertruck’s starting price of about $99,990, wrote in the caption of their trade-in: “Change is GOOD—when your principles/morals are important.” While some called out the car’s depreciating value (the driver confirmed in the comments that it’s a lease), others cheered on his commitment to his morals.
“I never thought I’d be cheering for a Hummer purchase, but I have to say ethics make it look great!” one person wrote. “I’ve been saying this whole time, imagine having cybertruck money and buying a cybertruck instead of the electric hummer. Approved,” another commented.
Those participating in the #ByeTesla trend are part of a growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and are now looking to sell or trade them in. Others have resorted to anti-Musk bumper stickers to distance themselves from the billionaire.
Thousands of anti-Tesla protesters took to the streets on Saturday, March 29, as part of the broader peaceful protest movement, Tesla Takedown, targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of DOGE. Hoping to hit him where it hurts—his estimated $340 billion fortune—the biggest portion of Musk’s wealth consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company.
Musk, however, did not appear concerned about an extended slump in new sales during a recent meeting. Instead, he reassured workers that the company’s Model Y would remain “the best-selling car on Earth again this year.” He also predicted that Tesla will have sold more than 10 million cars worldwide by next year, up from the seven million currently sold.
Clearly, he is not taking cues from TikTok.
