'Auto Trends' Revisits Tesla's Bumpy Racial History With Its Black Workforce (Two Shows)

In 2021, Tesla was winning the electric car race in terms of sales and record setting stock prices. Almost four years later, Tesla has been on a rollercoaster ride. While Tesla is still number one in the U.S. electric car market, both sales and stocks have tumbled. Some of the sales fallout is attributed to more electric vehicle competition in the market, while the lion's share of the luxury brand's ills have been driven by CEO's Elon Musk's new role as what many see as co-President of the United States of America. 

SiriusXM’s ‘Auto Trends’ Talks To The Attorney And Client Whom Were Awarded A $137 Million Discrimination Judgement Against Tesla (Two Shows)

 

While Tesla is winning the electric luxury car race in terms of sales and record setting stock prices, making it the most valuable automotive company in the world, they’re bringing up the rear with regard to race relations with the Black community.

According to the latest industry data, Black car buyers account for 4 percent of Tesla’s annual new vehicle sales. Black workers and managers, account for 10 percent and 4 percent, respectively, of the company’s workforce. Moreover, up until 2019, Linda Johnson Rice, whose father founded Ebony Magazine, was the first and only African American to serve on the automaker’s board, until she and two others opted not to stay on as directors.