Tesla Inc.

Tesla is a U.S.-based electric vehicle and energy company headquartered in California, led by Elon Musk. While marketed as a clean energy pioneer, it profits from supply chains linked to child labor, unsafe working conditions, and environmental harm. Amnesty International has documented cobalt, used in Tesla batteries, being mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) under hazardous conditions by children as young as seven.

In 2019, Tesla was named in a class-action lawsuit over child labor in cobalt mining; although dismissed in 2024, it highlighted ongoing human rights risks. The company has expanded use of cobalt-free LFP batteries in standard-range models, but long-range chemistries still contain nickel and cobalt, and transparency remains limited.

Tesla has faced repeated environmental enforcement, including a $1.5M California hazardous-waste settlement (2024), a $1M paint-shop settlement (2021), a $275k EPA penalty (2022), an air-quality violation order (2024), and a pending Clean Air Act suit. Labor disputes include NLRA violations, anti-union rulings, and racial-harassment litigation resulting in settlements and ongoing state actions.

Politically, Musk aligns with far-right figures, openly supports the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, and endorsed Donald Trump, using Tesla’s platform to promote pro-Israel narratives. These positions have fueled boycotts and campaigns such as #TeslaTakedown, with activists arguing that purchasing Tesla supports extractive labor abuses and political structures upholding apartheid and state violence.