Introduction
Electric vehicles are becoming more common on US roads, and few are as well known as Telsa.
The profile of the controversial owner, Elon Musk, may help the company stand out in the EV market. He’s known globally for his profile, whether talking about crypto, taking over Twitter, or innovating in the EV space. However it has happened, Tesla has become a byword for EVs, much like Hoover was for vacuum cleaners or Tannoy for public address systems.
As of January 2023, there are 221 Tesla dealers in the United States, with 29% of the world’s global dealerships on our shores. 63 of those are in California, where the company have their headquarters.
It’s also the state you’re most likely to see an EV on the road, and if you keep an eye out, you might even get lucky and see a famous person behind the wheel.
Celebrities love Tesla – they’re great for profiles as they suggest the driver is environmentally conscious and aware of their impact on the world. You’ll find a huge number of celebrities feeling flush behind the wheel of a Tesla, making a statement about themselves. Here are a handful of those famous faces raising the stakes in the EV industry.
Shakira
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Colombian pop singer Shakira is known worldwide for her voice and climate activism. She's focused on curbing the worst effects of climate change, as she revealed in a 2021 interview, and she’s backed up her beliefs by getting behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S.
You might think a hot hatch or something small and sporty would suit the Hips Don’t Lie singer, but she’s been spotted in a black Model S around Los Angeles. Sometimes she’s driven, and sometimes she’s behind the wheel, but she certainly helps drive the brand every time she’s seen getting out of a Tesla.
Daniel Negreanu
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Poker player Daniel Negreanu has six World Series of Poker bracelets and over $42m in live tournament cashes. Kid Poker could drive pretty much any car he desired if he wished, but he drives a Tesla. Whilst at the table, he’s known for living on the edge, but away from the felt, he’s environmentally aware – he’s a committed vegan who has won prop bets with fellow poker players over his beliefs.
He also drives a Tesla Model X, and like Shakira, it is in midnight black. He’s also owned a red Model S, which he recently sold to another top poker player, Landon Tice. That’s like the pioneer of the new breed of poker players passing on the baton, and soon you might see the car parks of Las Vegas casinos filled with Tesla charging points.
Matt Damon
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Matt Damon might not be a poker player, but he is something of a cult hero on the felt – his film Rounders helped spark the original poker boom, and the Boston native is often seen playing a few hands with his partner in crime, Ben Affleck.
Damon, who was been nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his role in The Martian, is certainly keen on protecting our world. He has owned multiple Teslas, including a Tesla Roadster and a Tesla Model S. The Roadster is a car befitting a Hollywood legend – it can do 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and has a glass roof that can be stored in the trunk.
