EXECUTIVE DASHBOARD
Your high-voltage overview of the current EV and self-driving vehicle landscape
Consumer skepticism around Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is high. Nearly half of consumers believe FSD technology should be illegal, and consumers say FSD features make them less likely to buy a Tesla by a two-to-one margin. After answering additional questions about FSD, consumers consider it even less of a reason to purchase a vehicle featuring the technology.
FSD and Autonomous Vehicle (AV) skepticism is driving demand for increased regulation and legal accountability. There is strong support for holding AV manufacturers responsible for accidents and requiring stricter regulatory and advertising guardrails around features such as FSD.
Consumers want LiDAR. Consumers overwhelmingly prefer for AVs to be equipped with both LiDAR and cameras (as Waymo does) as opposed to Tesla’s camera-only approach. 70% of Americans say autonomous vehicles should use both LiDAR and cameras, while only 3% support Tesla’s camera-only model. And 71% want the government to mandate both.
Negative perceptions of Tesla’s brand have worsened. Declining brand positivity and trust scores have hit new lows for Tesla—down significantly from the spring—and there are increasing concerns about safety and family-friendliness compared to other carmakers.
ABOUT EVIR & METHODOLOGY
The Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report tracks actionable insights on consumer attitudes, trends, and perceptions across the evolving U.S. EV landscape. Our proprietary research methodology delivers real-time insights into how people are thinking about the future of driving.
EVIR surveyed more than 8,000 U.S. consumers, weighted by education, race, gender, age, income, and geography, to uncover the truths behind what’s powering or stalling the EV and self-driving car transition.
THE LONG HAUL: TRENDS TO WATCH
What to watch in the fast-moving market, and where the data is going
What lies ahead for autonomous driving? Consumer skepticism around FSD and AV technology is driving increased consumer interest in a tighter regulatory and legal environment around these capabilities, while dampening interest in cars that feature the technology. How will carmakers and regulators react?
Tesla’s reputational misery continues. Tesla is the only EV carmaker with negative consumer perceptions on brand reputation and trust, with a dramatic slide continuing from the spring. Does Elon have any cards left to play?
Is all publicity good publicity? Lackluster product demonstrations, front-page accidents, and FSD-related legal cases are starting to take their toll on perceptions of self-driving cars as safe and appealing. Will consumers warm up to AV technology, or has the self-driving train left the station?
Toyota and Honda top the tables. From brand reputation to vehicle safety, the two Japanese heavyweights lead consumer perceptions of EV carmakers. As the EV market continues its shift away from high-priced luxury models to everyday drivers, will these carmakers clean up, or will tariffs stand in the way?
THE FAST LANE: MARKET INSIGHTS
A summary of the data from this month’s report
- Deep consumer skepticism around Tesla’s foregrounding of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology persists, raising doubts about whether a short- or medium-term market for “robotaxis” and similar Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology exists. 48% of consumers believe Tesla’s FSD technology should be illegal, and FSD puts off more potential Tesla purchasers than it attracts by more than two-to-one.
- This skepticism drives consumer appetite for additional legal and regulatory guardrails around FSD and AV technology. 66% of consumers say Tesla should be held responsible for accidents involving its advanced driver-assistance technologies, and 78% of consumers support regulations requiring Tesla advertisements to show proper use of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. 70% of consumers believe autonomous vehicles should use both LiDAR and cameras for safety, and 71% believe the government should mandate this standard.
- Consumers do not find FSD to be a particularly good reason to buy a Tesla vehicle. Only 4% say Full Self-Driving makes them “much more” likely to purchase a Tesla, while 10% say “somewhat more.” On the other hand, 28% say it makes them “much less” likely to purchase a Tesla, and 7% “somewhat less” likely. After answering questions related to Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technologies, this split becomes even more pronounced.
- Negative perceptions of Tesla’s brand have worsened to a -15 brand positivity score, down two points from -13 in July and more than doubling from -7 in April. Toyota (+43 net positive view) and Honda (+40 net positive view) have the most positive public perception, while Tesla is the only EV brand that consumers hold net negative views of. Trust in Tesla has also plummeted to -12, down from -8 in July and quadrupling April’s -3 score.
- Recent safety lawsuits may be affecting Tesla’s brand. Tesla’s rating among consumers shifted from 34% viewing it as unsafe to 36% over the last two surveys, while the share rating Tesla as “very safe” dropped from 17% to 13%. Honda (84%), Toyota (84%), and Chevrolet (81%) topped the safety measure. The share of consumers reporting that Tesla vehicles are not “family friendly” also increased after the legal cases, moving from 44% to 47%. No other company had more than 25% of consumers report it as not family-friendly. The most family-friendly vehicles were Toyota (84%), Honda (81%) and Ford (79%).
Perception: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Autopilot Technologies
When initially presented with a description of Tesla Full Self-Driving’s functionalities and expected use, nearly half of consumers (48%) say the technology should be illegal.
Roughly a third (35%) say Full Self-Driving should be legal, and 17% are unsure. Younger consumers (ages 18-44) and the highest-income consumers (income of $150,000 or more) are more likely than average to say the technology should be legal, while older consumers (aged 65 and over) and those with incomes of less than $100,000 are somewhat more likely than average to say the technology should be illegal.
14% of consumers say Full Self-Driving makes them more likely to buy a Tesla vehicle, while roughly a third (35%) say it makes them less likely to do so; half (51%) say it makes no difference. Younger, high-income, and urban consumers are more likely than average to say Full Self-Driving makes them somewhat more likely to buy a Tesla vehicle.
When it comes to car accidents involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, consumers see Tesla and its technologies bearing some responsibility. Two-thirds of consumers say that Tesla should compensate victims of crashes involving its advanced driver-assistance technologies. Presented with a case in which a person was hit and killed by a Tesla vehicle using Full Self-Driving, 44% consumers believe the technology was entirely to blame, while an almost equal share believes the driver and the technology are equally to blame.
An overwhelming majority of consumers (78%) support regulation requiring Tesla advertisements to depict proper use (i.e., the driver paying attention to the road with their hands on the wheel, as described in the company’s owner’s manuals) of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies. Presented with a description of Autopilot’s functionalities and expected use, nearly half of consumers (49%) say the name “Autopilot” does not accurately reflect the technology’s capabilities and the level of driver attention required to operate it safely. About two-thirds of consumers support requiring Tesla to ensure that its vehicles retain crash data such that it is directly accessible to drivers and law enforcement.
After responding to questions related to Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technologies, consumers are less likely to see Full Self-Driving technology as an inducement to buy a Tesla vehicle. When asked a second time whether Full-Self Driving makes them more or less likely to buy a Tesla vehicle, the share of consumers who say the technology makes them “much more” or “somewhat more” likely to buy a Tesla decreases by three and five points, respectively; the share who say it makes them “somewhat less” or “much less” likely to buy a Tesla increases by three and 13 points, respectively.
Perception: Robotaxis and LiDAR
Perception: Tariffs and Gas Prices as EV Purchase Factors
4% of consumers say that tariffs make them more likely to consider purchasing an EV sooner than they otherwise might have, while 28% say it makes them less likely. Among consumers who report that they are currently considering purchasing an EV, 13% say tariffs make them more likely to buy sooner (3% “much more” likely and 10% “somewhat more” likely), while 33% say it makes them less likely to do so (21% “somewhat less” likely and 12% “much less” likely).
Larger shares of consumers express greater sensitivity to gas prices. 27% of consumers say rising gas prices would make them more likely to buy an EV, while 13% say it would make them less likely. Among consumers currently considering purchasing an EV, 68% say rising gas prices would make them more likely to buy an EV (19% “much more” likely and 49% “somewhat more” likely); among those not currently considering purchasing an EV, 33% say rising gas prices would make them more likely to buy an EV (6% “much more” likely and 27% “somewhat more” likely).
EV Purchase Factors
Factors Driving Interest in Purchasing an Electric Vehicle
Concerns About Purchasing an Electric Vehicle
EV Brand Perception: Positive vs. Negative
All consumers
* View Intensity score is the share of consumers who say they have a “very” positive view of the brand minus the share of consumers who say they have a “very” negative view of the brand.
EV Brand Perception: Trust
All consumers
** Trust intensity score is the share of consumers who say they trust a brand “a lot” minus the share of consumers who say they distrust a brand “a lot”.
EV Brand Perception: Safety
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Good For Families
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Luxury
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Key Consumer Segments
Income
Geography
Age
Consumer Interest: EV Models
The Full Charge: EV Infrastructure
EV Charger Models
Consumers who have owned or are considering purchasing an EV charger
*Interest score is the share of consumers considering purchasing an EV charger who say they are “currently considering” or “open to considering” the model minus those who say they “would never consider” the model.
Home Battery Storage System Models
Consumers who have owned or are considering purchasing a home battery storage system
*Interest score is the share of consumers considering purchasing a home battery storage system who say they are “currently considering” or “open to considering” the model minus those who say they “would never consider” the model.
When states and municipalities build charging networks, which companies would you prefer they use?
All consumers
