Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded on Monday to Kia Norway’s latest ad campaign, which features a sticker on the rear of the EV3 reading: “I bought this after Elon went crazy.”
Kia launched the marketing campaign earlier this month, but the Instagram post gained traction over the weekend, becoming the top-voted post on the brand’s page with over 1,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
As reported earlier this Monday, the carmaker deleted the post from its Instagram page. A few hours later, Musk reacted to the ad on X, asking, “They really did that?”
Last September, Kia had already targeted Tesla owners with an incentive program in the U.S., offering up to $1,500 for Tesla owners to switch to a Kia EV.
The company also introduced a Tesla Competitive Bonus Program, providing a $1,000 discount on the EV6 and a $9,000 discount on the larger EV9 for Tesla drivers, in addition to a $7,500 customer cash incentive.
Back then, Musk also commented on X, saying, “But here’s the rub, Tesla never has to bribe Kia drivers to buy a Tesla…”
The EV3, introduced in Europe last November, has a range of up to 375 miles (603 km) per charge and starts at €36,000 ($39,000) in Germany.
While some social media users supported Kia’s campaign, top-liked comments on the post were critical of the South Korean automaker. One read, “Tell me you can’t compete on [the] product without telling me,” while another, with 72 likes, said, “Tesla all day long!”
Online marketplaces, including Amazon, have seen increased demand for stickers with phrases such as “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” and “Anti-Elon Tesla Club.”
Tesla shares plunged 15.4% on Monday, closing at $222, on the first day of their eighth consecutive week of losses. On X, Musk reacted to the 7th biggest percentage decline since the initial public offering saying, the stock “will be fine long-term.”