Tesla CEO Elon Musk declared on X that 'If you have a womb, you are a woman. Otherwise, you are not,' igniting widespread commentary. The remark comes as Tesla faces declining sales in the US, exacerbated by a male-dominated EV market and the end of federal tax credits. Analysts highlight a persistent gender gap in EV ownership, with potential implications for Tesla's customer base.
On December 13, 2025, Elon Musk posted on his social media platform X: “If you have a womb, you are a woman. Otherwise, you are not.” The statement, which overlooks nuances such as age and development stages where individuals possess a womb before reaching womanhood, has drawn significant online reaction.
This controversy unfolds against a backdrop of challenging Tesla sales figures. According to Cox Automotive data reported by Reuters, Tesla's US sales fell 23% year-on-year in November 2025, dropping from 51,513 vehicles in November 2024 to 39,800. Contributing factors include the discontinuation of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit on September 30, 2025, following a Republican-controlled Congress's passage of a Trump-approved tax bill in July. This led to a pre-deadline buying surge and subsequent industry slump.
Tesla's efforts to counter the decline, such as launching cheaper versions of the Model 3 and Model Y with price reductions of $5,000–$5,500, have not offset the tax credit loss, as noted by CleanTechnica editor Zachary Shahan. Cybertruck sales also plummeted, with just 5,385 units sold in Q3 2025 compared to 14,416 in Q3 2024—a 63% decline—far below Musk's earlier forecast of 150,000 annual sales.
The EV sector grapples with a gender gap, as identified by market research firm Escalante in 2024: men comprise 71% of EV owners and 74% of shoppers, contrasting with women accounting for 62% of overall US car sales. Hedges & Company reports Tesla owners skew 74% male. Historical context shows EVs were once marketed to women in the early 1900s, but current barriers include personal safety concerns, access to home charging, and affordability. While the Model Y outperformed rivals in women's sales in 2023 per S&P data, Musk's actions—like the Twitter acquisition, Cybertruck launch, and role in federal workforce reductions affecting women-majority agencies—may have eroded this edge. Incidents such as deepfake images of Taylor Swift on X in 2024 further complicate outreach to female consumers.
Despite US setbacks, global EV sales rise, with competitors like Ford, GM, TELO Truck, Slate Auto, and Scout Motors emphasizing affordability, posing challenges for Tesla's recovery.
