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.
Count me among the boycotters. Musk has made it all but certain I’ll never ever buy any product or service he benefits from if I can avoid it.
Also…
Musk’s highly abnormal involvement in
USworld politicsThere. FTFY.
He is one of the most dangerous people today. Not one penny of my money will go to him willingly from me.
I’m trying to decide if second hand purchases would somehow have upstream effects.
Yes, because then the original purchase has more value.
Improving the resale value makes the new product more desirable.
I might willingly give him a penny. But only after its been electromagnetically accelerated to sufficient speed by a pair of charged rails.
I fucking hate saying this and agree but it doesn’t matter if any of our money goes to him… he’s a legit supervillain that has the most money. It’s insane. Nothing matters anymore. (Okay some things matter, if someone buys a tesla, money notwithstanding, they also forfeit their privacy)
So, not Iron Man at all, then, just Lex Luthor with hair plugs.
And he actually even has the hair plugs
A family member had a deposit down on a Cybertruck and was ready to buy one. They canceled their deposit and bought a different EV because of how much they despise Elon now, so it’s not just sour grapes from people that couldn’t/wouldn’t buy one anyways.
It may be difficult to really say who’s part of that group. Years ago, I definitely wanted a Tesla. Would I have been part of that group at that time? Then the downsides started to show up. Poor QA. No independent repairs. Expensive repairs and poor warranty coverage. Their vision of a car controlled by an app. Then Musk went insane.
Then later, when I was in the market for a new car, I didn’t seriously consider a Tesla. I looked at them briefly to make sure I wasn’t missing out on something big, and found the options to be lackluster. I ended up buying a Bolt.
Would I have bought a Tesla, were it not for Elon’s political actions? TBH, probably not. The repairs thing really turned me off. Even though it’s largely theoretical (I’ve yet to find an independent EV mechanic), it’s very important that I have the possibility.
I genuinely don’t get when they say “haters are just jealous they can’t afford it”… Like, no? Seriously? Do you see them hating on Lamborghinis or Ferraris? It doesn’t make any sense.
At least they also don’t have to put their car into CAR WASH MODE to not brick it getting a clean hahaha
Sad that it’s only 25%.
I can’t think of anything else as significant in consumer product sales.
Some people may still be boycotting Chick Fil A and Hobby Lobby. Though I doubt if it’s 25%.
I still boycott Chic-Fil-Subpar.
I’ve had it for free a couple times and I cannot understand what the hype is all about. I can go down the street to a mom and pop place and get a way better chicken sandwich for the same price and I don’t have to wait in a line wrapping around the block. It’s definitely some cult behavior.
But yeah, I have LGBTQ people in my life so I don’t need to support an anti-LGBTQ corporation. Unfortunately, most Americans like tasty treats and shiny objects more than morality or accountability.
Yep, I don’t eat at Bigot Bird, either.
I have good memories of eating there with my dad in the 90s and I guess it was fine? But I know better now and I’m too queer for their BS.
I’d break my “don’t eat X animal species” dietary restrictions before I ate there.
I’m still among those people. On the rare occasion that I am presented with no option for food other than Chik-Fil-A, I find their food disgusting. I only have two data points - nuggets and hash browns - and both were excessively greasy, bland turds.
My girlfriend’s mom gifted her a Hobby Lobby gift card. We regifted it back to her the following year.
I only have two data points - nuggets and hash browns - and both were excessively greasy, bland turds.
I fully support folks boycotting Chik-Fil-A, but you went to a store known for their chicken sandwiches and then got other things. Their sandwiches are basic but good. I don’t enjoy their nuggets or hash browns either.
Their chicken is soggy and disgusting.
I kinda hate that Elon is the issue for 25% of people and not the fact Tesla is using regular cameras instead of LiDAR
Not sure about the value of LiDAR, but their inability to integrate ANY multimodal sensors (RADAR or even SONAR parking sensors which are no longer on ANY of their vehicles) points to either an unwillingness/inability to solve the engineering problem of integration, penny pinching, or both. I bought a demo Model 3 in 2019 (it’s a 2018) which has ultrasound sensors (for now? It used to also have RADAR) and as our family has grown a Y would be a much better fit for us. But no chance I’m buying another Tesla.
Do you mean the model used to have RADAR, or your particular car? If the latter, did they actually disable it with a software update?
My Model 3 shipped with front facing RADAR, and continued to make use of it until a software update disabled it. That was some time in 2024, I believe. New Teslas (forget when it started) all omit the front facing RADAR and the ultrasonic parking sensors. I believe the Model X still retains some ultrasonic sensors for its “falcon wing” doors to avoid obstructions.
That is absolutely infuriating
It’s crazy that my decade old car has better sensors than every Tesla on the road
