- 35% of conservatives surveyed say their opinion of Tesla has improved in the past six months.
- However, only 17% of conservatives would consider buying an EV.
- 53% of liberals and 31% of those who identify as “middle-of-the-road” surveyed are now less likely to consider a Tesla for their next vehicle.
It’s been a week since Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s Tesla infomercial on the White House lawn. That unusual event happened after Tesla’s stock dropped 15% in a single day, making it the single worst day the electric automaker has had in years. Trump couldn’t have been more effusive about Tesla that day, despite his past withering criticism of electric cars. So will his newfound Tesla fandom, and Musk’s own moves to eviscerate the federal government, make inroads for EVs with buyers who have historically been uninterested in them?
Well, no. Data from market analysis firm Escalent shows that although stunts like Musk’s White House presence or his controversial political views and actions have improved the perception of Tesla among conservatives, the overall effect is still a big net negative for the brand.
Between Feb. 15 and Feb. 28, Escalent surveyed 897 drivers who owned a 2020 model year or newer vehicle, and intend to buy a new car within the next five years. Of those surveyed, 39% of the respondents considered themselves politically conservative, while 37% of those said they were “middle-of-the-road” political centrists. Only 24% said they were liberal.
Yet, of those liberals surveyed, 36% of them would consider buying an EV. About 13% of them already were EV owners. “Middle-of-the-road” car owners also came in strong, with 26% of them considering an EV, and 14% actually ended up being EV owners.
Those numbers dropped to 17% and 7% for conservatives, though.
Most pertinently, when the three groups were asked how their opinions of Tesla changed over the past six months, liberals by far had a much more negative opinion with 53% claiming to have a more negative opinion of Tesla. By comparison, 35% of conservatives had a more positive opinion of Tesla.
The same percentage of liberals were less likely to consider a Tesla for their next vehicle, while 31% of conservatives were willing. Perhaps Musk’s leadership of the DOGE cuts the name of “efficiency” is resonating with conservatives.
But that won’t save Tesla, according to Escalent’s Vice President, KC Boyce. “Liberals and middle-of-the-road voters constitute the majority of the market, period, and a substantial majority of the EV market,” he said. “While ‘middle of the road’ voters aren’t quite as turned off by Tesla as liberals are, those groups are less likely to consider a Tesla for their next vehicle.”
Sure, conservatives are more willing to buy a Tesla-branded EV, but the handful of sales increase from courting conservatives won’t make up the losses from the overwhelming number of liberals (and centrists) that bought the cars in the first place.
It’s clear that Tesla is a freefall. The stock only rebounded for a moment after Trump and Musk’s White House Tesla Sales Blowout Bonanza, but the reprieve didn’t last. The stock price—the primary source of Musk’s wealth—is now trending downward again.
The brand seems to be going full steam ahead and hasn’t really acknowledged anything, or has responded only with bizarre influencer marketing. Kim Kardashian reposted her photoshoot of her with the Cybertruck, Tesla Cybercab and the prototype Optimus robot for Perfect Magazine, a move that attracted the ire of even the most car-uninformed pop-culture followers. The brand has become incredibly toxic to a great deal of normal people, and it’s hard to see its path back from that.
With any luck, EVs will become less politicized over time, as it’s just a new kind of technology—nothing else. For now, however, the CEO of America’s EV leader may be doing more harm than good on that front.
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