Why is Dale Vince comparing Tesla to the Ku Klux Klan?

Perhaps its cars automatically run down people of the wrong colour? Or its batteries will only charge if you put a white hood over the socket? It is hard to know what exactly the green energy tycoon Dale Vince is thinking by comparing Tesla to the Ku Klux Klan. The comparison is so ridiculously over-the-top, it suggests that Vince has something else in mind. He is terrified of Elon Musk’s company giving him some real competition in the British market – and instead of competing on price or service is trying to block him from the market instead. 

Tesla has applied to Ofgem for an electricity supply licence that will allow it to sell power directly to people’s homes. It will be competing with giants such as British Gas, and of course Vince’s own company, Ecotricity. It is hard to see what is so terrible about that.

Most of us might think that people should be free to choose who they buy power from, and, of course, if they would rather not get it from Musk on the basis of his political views that is perfectly fine. But Vince has a different idea. He argues the company should be refused a license. He posted a photo of hooded Klan members on X featuring a modified Tesla logo and the caption ‘The White Power Company’, urging people to write to Ofgem opposing its entry to the British market. 

Seriously? Whatever people may think of Musk’s association with President Trump or his libertarian views, there is no question that Tesla is one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world with a fantastic record of launching new products and opening up markets. It pioneered electric cars and turned them from a niche product into mass-market vehicles. It has developed self-driving cars and high-capacity batteries, while Musk has also built a hugely successful space business and turned around X, formerly Twitter.

If Tesla can offer something different in the energy market surely that would be better for everyone? After all, it is not as if electricity is especially cheap in the UK. Instead of childish insults and attempts to ban his rivals from the market, perhaps Vince should try offering lower prices and better service – he will probably find that works far better than simply comparing Tesla to the Klan.