Liberals less likely to purchase EVs due to Elon Musk's public image: Study

Liberal-leaning Americans are less likely to purchase any kind of electric vehicle

because of their perceptions of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, according to a new study published in the journal Nature

Because of Musk's political behavior, left-leaning individuals are now not only less willing to buy Teslas, but also other electrical vehicles in general

according to the study. Researchers from several U.S. universities tracked how people's political

beliefs influenced their opinions of Tesla, Musk, and electric vehicles in general over a two-year

period between 2023 and 2025. The researchers thought liberals would continue to support EVs

since they're typically associated with environmental values. They also expected conservatives to start viewing EVs, especially Tesla's, more favorably because Musk has become

more aligned with right-wing politics. The results were surprising as researchers found that Musk

ended up turning liberals off from EVs, so their interests started looking a lot like

conservatives' lack of interest. Liberals became less interested in buying any electric vehicle

Conservatives remain uninterested in electric vehicles, including Teslas, the study's authors found. The study cites a survey from early 2023 in which conservatives said they were not interested

in buying either a generic EV or a Tesla. Liberals who responded to the survey still

liked EVs in general and were open to buying one, but they were much less interested in buying a

Tesla specifically. By March 2025, conservatives' views stayed the same. They were not very interested

in Teslas or electric vehicles in general. Liberals' views, however, got worse. Liberals

became even more negative, not just with Tesla, but with the entire electric vehicle category in

general. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. For more on this story, download the

Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com