Christine Orita
- Christine Orita was a loyal Tesla fan for years but recently ditched her Model S for an electric Mercedes-Benz.
- Elon Musk's politics and disappointing self-driving tech pushed Orita to drop the Tesla brand, she told Insider.
- She loves how luxurious and comfortable her new Mercedes EQS is compared to her Model S.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christine Orita, 65, a longtime Tesla owner from California who recently decided to ditch her 2020 Model S for an electric Mercedes-Benz. Her words have been edited for length and clarity.
Back in 2012, I put down a deposit for the Tesla Model S.