Three things are no secret: 1) Elon Musk benefits more than any other individual from Tesla’s success, 2) Elon Musk has gotten extremely involved in political matters (emphasis on “extremely”), and 3) many people won’t buy Tesla products because of those first two facts.
New research from JW Surety Bonds finds that 1 out of 4 Americans “avoid Tesla’s technology due to their opinions on Elon Musk.” That’s a full quarter of the US public that won’t consider great electric vehicles, including the best selling vehicle in the world, because of Musk’s highly abnormal involvement in US politics.
Before we get to more of the research, it should also be noted that Musk has been getting more and more involved, including in highly abnormal and extremely right-wing ways, in European politics — in the UK, Italy, Germany, and other major auto markets. Without a doubt, this is starting to impact consumer behavior in Europe as well.
I can’t think of anything else as significant in consumer product sales. Yes, there are some other highly politically engaged business people, but they aren’t so directly involved or tied to significant mass-market products. (I’m not counting the MyPillow guy, for example.) There are founders and CEOs of major corporations who are known political actors, but not so openly and loudly that they draw widely significant scrutiny or tarnish the brand they represent.
I own a 5yo Tesla. I would have upgraded, except for the fact that giving more money to Musk is horrific.
Same, my Model 3 turns 5 years old soon. My original plan was to keep it for at least 8 years until the HV battery warranty expires - but, it has had its first major breakdown in the last 6 months, and although Tesla did manage to fix it I’m now window shopping for a replacement.
I don’t think I’ll get another Tesla, at least not as the situation stands. If Elon decided to sell it to some unobtrusive billionaire who is content to sit there, shut up and get even richer without meddling in geopolitics - and if they put back the fucking turn signal stalks - then maybe I would consider it, as otherwise the car is easy to live with, pleasant to drive and has acceptable range for what I need - and newer versions will go even further. But, there are a lot of alternatives on the market to consider now as well.
I am sure there is a team of very talented engineers at Tesla, and that they are the reason the company has been as successful as it is, despite the moron in charge of it.
Cars should last like 20 years…
People are getting used to the idea of Vehicles as A Service and it’s a terrible fucking idea.
It’s ruining cell phones and it’ll ruin auto ownership.
Why though? Anything wrong with your car?
It’s much better for the environment anyway when you keep it longer. 5y is nothing for an electric car, even if it has multiple hundred thousand kilometers it should be fine.