Kia takes a savage dig at Elon Musk with EV3 sticker: ‘I bought this after Elon went crazy’ – Hindustan Times

Kia Norway has taken a dig at Tesla CEO Elon Musk with a viral Instagram post that taps into the growing trend of anti-Musk stickers. The official Instagram account of Kia Norway recently shared a picture of one of its EV3 electric vehicles sporting a sticker that reads: “I bought this after Elon went crazy.”

The post has sparked much amusement online, coming as it does at a time when Musk’s popularity is at an all-time low among certain sections of the internet. Although Kia’s post was shared in February, it has only recently gained traction online. The South Korean automaker shared the Instagram picture sans caption.

Take a look at the post below:

Anti-Musk stickers

Over the past couple of months, stickers criticising Musk have become increasingly popular among Tesla owners who are frustrated with his controversial statements, business decisions and political views.

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One entrepreneur told Business Insider that where he was earlier selling only a handful of anti-Musk stickers, their popularity shot up after the Tesla CEO made a Nazi-style salute at a Trump rally in January. Today, the entrepreneur, named Matthew Hiller, is able to sell 400 to 500 stickers a day.

Many of the buyers are Tesla owners who disagree with Musk’s political views but can’t afford to sell their vehicles. Because of this, phrases such as “I bought this before Elon lost it” and “Powered by regret” have been spotted on Teslas across the globe.

Kia vs Tesla

The timing of Kia Norway’s post is no coincidence. The South Korean automaker has been aggressively expanding its electric vehicle lineup, with the EV3 set to compete in the same market segment as Tesla’s Model Y.

Kia’s Instagram post has reached X and Reddit over the last few days, sparking amusement among Musk detractors.

“My respect for Kia just went through space,” read one comment on Reddit. “Here in Austin there are Teslas everywhere. Now I’m seeing bumper stickers on them with varying messages but they boil down to ‘Bought the car before I knew Elon sucks,’” another Reddit user revealed.

(Also read: Tesla showroom set on fire, 12 cars destroyed in suspected arson attack in France)