Liberal-leaning Americans are less likely to purchase an electric vehicle because of their perceptions of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Since last year, Musk has aligned himself with more conservative ideologies and has publicly feuded with U.S. President Donald Trump, which has worsened the left-leaning public’s perception of him.
Tesla’s brand image affects broader EV market
Because of Musk’s political behavior, left-leaning individuals are now not only less willing to buy Teslas but also other electric vehicles in general, according to the study.
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Researchers from several U.S. universities tracked how people’s political beliefs influenced their opinions of Tesla, Musk and electric vehicles (EVs) in general over a two-year period between 2023 and 2025.
Expectations vs. reality
The researchers thought liberals would continue to support EVs since they are typically associated with environmental values. They also expected conservatives to start viewing EVs, especially Teslas, more favorably, because Musk has become more aligned with right-wing politics.
The results surprised researchers. They found that Musk ended up turning liberals off from EVs, so their interest started looking a lot like conservatives’ lack of interest. Liberals became less interested in buying any electric vehicle. Conservatives remained uninterested in electric vehicles, including Teslas, the study’s authors found.
Survey findings from 2023–2025
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: 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.
