London Tesla driver - 'I've been sent death threats and laughed at on street'
Dad-of-two Mitchell Feldman, 53, bought his first Tesla - a £65k Model Y - in 2022.
He said he fell in love with the technology and safety features of the car.
Marketing business owner Mitchell said he would get the odd comment about being a Tesla driver but nothing out of the ordinary.
Mitchell brough the Tesla Model Y in 2022. (Image: SWNS)
This was until Elon Musk was announced as the man who would be leading Donald Trump's controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
Mitchell said he has received a ton of emails - through his company website - threatening him and his family.
Two weeks ago, Mitchell was in a carpark when a man walked up to him, laughed in his face, and asked if he "supported Elon' by driving a Tesla".
Despite the barrage of comments, Mitchell said his support for Tesla remains "steadfast" and is planning on putting in an order for a new Model Y.
Mitchell says he received tons of emails over his Telsa. (Image: SWNS)
Mitchell, from north west London, said: "I have had everything from quite severe hate mail, people saying that when they find me they will kill me and my family in front of me.
"I've had a number of people saying that I'm brave, that I am saying what everyone else is thinking.
"But I have been completely shocked by the reaction I have received.
"There's a massive polarization in views, there are those that admire Elon Musk, and there are those that don't.
"There doesn't seem to be a middle ground, it is very binary."
Mitchell used to drive an Aston Martin DB11sports car before switching to Tesla in March 2022.
Mitchell previously owned a Aston Martin DB11. (Image: SWNS)
He said he bought a Tesla because he "loved" the technology behind the vehicle.
Mitchell said: "The thing that drove me to Tesla was the technology.
"It was the technology and the safety aspects of the vehicle that was a massive appeal to me at the time.
"I had a sports car before, which didn't have native integration into my phone.
"It didn't have a touch screen, it wasn't intuitive, and Tesla, I like the look of it.
"The appeal was the technology, and I am a technologist, so there was that appeal of having that association with Elon Musk."
Initially, Mitchell said the comments he would receive were "no surprise you've got a Tesla being a geek" but nothing out of the ordinary.
Mitchell said things changed when Musk began to led DOGE. (Image: SWNS)
But after Elon Musk was tapped to lead DOGE things changed.
Mitchell said: "I knew there was a discourse around the work he had been involved in with DOGE.
"But I never realised that people associated the art with the artist."
On March 6, 2025, Mitchell was at a Teddy Swims concert in Wembley when he parked his Tesla in the car park.
He said he could see a young man pointing at him and laughing which made him feel "violated".
Mitchell said: "I parked outside the parking metre, as I pulled up, there was a youngish guy with his partner, and daughter laughing and pointing at me.
"When I got out of the car, he came up to be quite abrasive and said 'I presume you support Elon Musk driving one of those'.
"I felt quite violated, I didn't know what to say. He then laughed at me and walked away with his family.
"I had never experienced anything like that."
Mitchell then wrote a post about his experience on LinkedIn where he received more backlash and death threats as a result.
Despite the hate he has received, Mitchell has no intentions of getting rid of his Tesla and is planning on ordering the new Model Y.
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Mitchell said: "I found out that the new model Y is available in the UK, and I will be ordering a new one.
"I am waiting for a phone call from Elon Musk to say thank you for the post and here is a free Cyber Truck.
"If anything, it has made me more steadfast in my support."
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