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Are Buyers Avoiding Teslas Because of Elon Musk? What the Evidence Shows

Some U.S. consumers say Elon Musk’s politics made them less likely to consider a Tesla. Survey responses, academic sales research and 2026 delivery figures tell different parts of the story.
Entry013 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Yes—some U.S. shoppers reported that Elon Musk’s political activity made them less likely to consider a Tesla, but the evidence does not show that buyers broadly stopped purchasing the cars. A June 2025 survey measured stated likelihood, not completed purchases; later sales figures vary by region and do not isolate Musk’s influence.

What did consumers say about buying a Tesla?

In its June 2025 report, the Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report (EVIR) said it surveyed more than 8,000 U.S. consumers, with results weighted by education, race, gender, age, income and geography. Asked whether Musk’s time in government made them more or less likely to consider buying a Tesla, respondents gave these answers:

Respondents Less likely More likely No change
All surveyed U.S. consumers 38% 6% 57%

The percentages come from respondents’ reported likelihood at that time, not records of purchases or cancellations. The small gap in the total is consistent with rounded figures. The results support saying that Musk’s political role deterred some potential buyers; they do not establish how many people ultimately chose another vehicle. Read the EVIR June 2025 report.

How did the reaction differ by political affiliation?

EVIR’s party breakdown shows that the reported change in purchase consideration was sharply divided. The figures below are the shares in each group who said they were more or less likely to consider a Tesla after Musk’s government tenure; the report’s headline figures for no change are for all respondents, not each party.

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Political affiliation Less likely More likely
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This pattern supports describing the reaction as politically polarized, not assuming that party affiliation explains any one person’s decision. In a separate commissioned poll, GBAO surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults for Ekō from May 2–7, 2025. It found that 64% of adults and 72% of adults curious about EVs agreed that Musk’s recent political activity was hurting Tesla’s future. That was agreement with a statement—not the same question as whether respondents were less likely to consider buying a Tesla, and not evidence of completed sales. See Ekō’s account of the GBAO survey.

What does sales research establish—and what can’t it show?

A 2025 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, “The Musk Partisan Effect on Tesla Sales,” examines monthly U.S. new-vehicle registrations at the county level. It compares registration changes across counties with different shares of Democratic and Republican voters to assess whether patterns align with Musk’s partisan activity. That is evidence about sales patterns, not a survey of individual buyers’ motives: county-level data cannot establish why a particular person bought or avoided a Tesla. The analysis is observational, so it should not be read as proof that Musk alone caused a change in sales. Read the NBER working paper.

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A 2025 peer-reviewed article in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications reports that liberals were less willing to buy Teslas than other electric vehicles, and that perceptions of Musk moderated that relationship. Its outcome is willingness, rather than observed purchases, and its studies took place at different points in the political timeline. Read the journal article. Yale Insights also discusses researchers’ analysis of a possible partisan sales effect; a modeled counterfactual should not be treated as a count of confirmed boycotts. Read Yale Insights’ summary.

Do recent Tesla sales figures fit a continuing boycott?

Not as a simple, worldwide story. The Associated Press reported that Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles globally in Q2 2026, up 25% from 384,122 in Q2 2025 and marking a second consecutive quarterly increase. AP noted several possible contributors: cheaper Model Y and Model 3 versions, lower leasing and loan costs in Europe, and stronger EV demand there as fuel prices rose. Tesla did not break out deliveries by country. For the U.S., AP cited Cox Automotive’s separate estimate of a 20% year-over-year sales decline in Q2 2026. The U.S. estimate and global delivery total measure different things and should not be conflated. Read the Associated Press report.

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Why can’t sales changes be attributed to Musk alone?

Consumer sentiment is only one possible influence on vehicle sales. Model changeovers can affect how many vehicles are available or appeal to shoppers; prices, financing and EV incentives change the cost of buying; competing vehicles and regional differences in EV demand can shift sales too. The evidence cited here establishes reported political reactions and analyzes sales patterns, but it does not isolate Musk’s influence from those other factors across all markets or periods.

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