---
title: "VW CEO Slams Tesla for Only Selling 80,000 Cars a Year, Losing Millions"
description: "\"Social responsibility? Please,\" scoffed Volkswagen boss Matthias Müller."
date: "2017-10-20"
modified: "2017-10-20"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/15335/vw-ceo-slams-tesla-for-only-selling-80000-cars-a-year-losing-millions"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Matthias Mueller"
  - "Tesla"
---

# VW CEO Slams Tesla for Only Selling 80,000 Cars a Year, Losing Millions

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/10/gettyimages-845679078-e1508531804605.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller was at a forum for "international understanding" Thursday night when the panel moderator mentioned Tesla and its object of fascination status among consumers. At this, Müller's response wasn't exactly positive.

Translated by the [*Daily Kanban*](<https://dailykanban.com/2017/10/volkswagen-boss-rips-elon-musk-destroyer-jobs-money/>), the VW chief proceeded to roast Elon Musk's electric car company quoting Tesla's relatively paltry sales figures and its allegedly irresponsible handling of finances and [employees](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/6084/volkswagen-plans-to-cut-30-000-jobs-worldwide>).

"Now I really need to say a few words about Tesla: With all due respect, there are some world champions of big announcements in this world—I don’t want to [name names.](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk>) There are companies that barely sell 80,000 cars a year. Then there are companies like Volkswagen that sell 11 million cars this year, and produce a profit of 13 or 14 billion euro. If I am correctly informed, Tesla each quarter destroys millions of dollars in the three digits, and it willy-nilly fires its workers. Social responsibility? Please. We should not get carried away and compare apples with oranges."

https://youtube.com/embed/wSklSKRkIpk

[Damn](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOQ3RBKvbE>), Matthias.

The German exec's words are the latest in a string of recent negative publicity for the Palo Alto electric vehicle maker. Between the aforementioned ["willy-nilly firings,"](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/15148/confirmed-tesla-did-fire-400-employees-within-the-past-week>) allegations of a [hostile work environment](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/15209/former-tesla-employees-allege-factory-is-a-hostile-work-environment-for-african-americans>) from African American former employees, another [Model X recall](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/15184/tesla-recalls-11000-model-x-crossovers-over-second-row-seat-issue>), and [drama surrounding less-than-stellar Model 3 reliability predictions](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/15315/consumer-reports-predicts-average-reliability-for-model-3-tesla-complains>) from *Consumer Reports*, it's been a rough week for Tesla's PR team.

Now, about that Musk vs. Müller boxing match...

## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)