Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
BMW has launched a new advertising campaign in Canada that takes aim at Tesla and recent protests against the Elon Musk-led automaker.
Promoting the i4 electric sedan, the digital campaign features the tagline “Tested, Not protested,” alongside the subheadline, “Choose the award-winning BMW i4.” The message refers to the growing criticism and attacks Tesla has suffered over the last few months.
The campaign comes as rival automakers increasingly position themselves against Tesla and/or Elon Musk. Earlier this month, Kia rolled out an ad in Norway for its entry-level EV3 featuring a sticker on the back of the vehicle that read, “I bought this after Elon went crazy.” The post drew backlash online and was meanwhile deleted.
Kia’s Norway unit clarified the intent, saying the post “was only meant as humor between two competitors from our side.”
In the U.S., the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have established a joint task force to investigate a series of vandalism and arson attacks targeting Tesla showrooms and charging stations.
BMW’s i4 was its top-selling electric vehicle in 2024, with 23,403 units sold—a 3.6% increase from the prior year. In the U.S., the model accounted for more than half of all 4 Series sales. The company sold 50,981 electric vehicles in the country last year, a 12.3% gain over 2023.
BMW of North America ended 2024 with record sales, delivering 371,346 vehicles, up 2.5% from the previous year. It marked the automaker’s second consecutive year of growth in the market. EV sales topped 50,000 units for the first time, with nearly half attributed to the i4. U.S. sales surged in the fourth quarter, rising 8.9% to 117,506 vehicles, with passenger cars climbing 12.9% and light trucks increasing 6%.
Kia has previously targeted Tesla owners with cash incentives. In September, the South Korean automaker offered U.S. Tesla drivers up to $1,500 to switch to one of its EVs. That program included a $1,000 “Tesla Competitive Bonus” on the EV6 and a $9,000 discount on the larger EV9, along with a $7,500 customer cash incentive.
At the time, Musk responded to Kia’s efforts in a post on X, writing: “But here’s the rub, Tesla never has to bribe Kia drivers to buy a Tesla…”
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk earlier this Monday claimed that protesters demonstrating against the company across the U.S. are being paid, as a wave of vandalism and politically motivated acts target Tesla locations and vehicles.