"I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers" Yes he is. He wrote ( and I quoted above ): "people would rather go to his

"I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers" Yes he is. He wrote ( and I quoted above ): "people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars." Yes, of course the brand has been impacted negatively. Which Musk must have seen coming. I think he wants to be right, not popular. To a level bordering on mental illness, and wholly unsuited to someone leading a company that needs to attract customers. It would be a problem even if he was right. And on many things, he is not.