EXECUTIVE DASHBOARD
Your high-voltage overview of the current EV and self-driving vehicle landscape
Tesla investors want Elon Musk to refocus on his company. Both direct Tesla shareholders and investors with Tesla exposure want Musk to spend more time at Tesla rather than on government work. Direct Tesla shareholders prefer that Musk spend more time at Tesla by a 39-point margin. 61% of investors exposed to Tesla believe that Musk “should focus on his businesses, not destroying his reputation.”
Tesla’s Austin robotaxi demonstration may have hurt more than it helped. Just 3% of consumers heard “a lot” about the event. After being presented with Wall Street Journal coverage of the event, a majority of consumers were less interested in using a Tesla robotaxi (50%) and less convinced of their safety (53%).
Skepticism around autonomous driving remains high. A majority of consumers believe autonomous vehicles and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology should be illegal, with 53% saying robotaxis should be illegal and 55% saying Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology should be illegal.
Tesla’s brand reputation slide continues.The industry leader remains in deep trouble with consumers, as evidenced by its lowest net positive perception (-13) recorded in our data so far as well as its highest total distrust (48%) and lowest trust intensity score (-19) among all surveyed EV brands.
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, geography, and political preference to uncover the truths behind what’s powering or stalling the EV and self-driving car transition.
Investor data is pooled from our April, May, June, and July surveys and includes 4,132 consumers with market exposure to Tesla. In the data below, “Direct Tesla Shareholders” refers to individuals who report owning Tesla shares, while “Tesla-Exposed Investors” refers to individuals who report market exposure to Tesla through ETFs, mutual funds, and other investment products.
THE LONG HAUL: TRENDS TO WATCH
What to watch in the fast-moving market, and where the data is going
Tesla’s Non-Recovery: Elon Musk seemed poised to exit politics, promising that the reputational hit Tesla took during his time in the Trump administration would fade. But with the launch of Musk’s “America Party,” Tesla’s consumer perception recovery remains a nonrecovery. What is the way back, if any?
Shareholder Revolt: Tesla shareholders are growing weary of Musk’s damage to the brand, and strongly approve of his decision to exit a formal role in the Trump administration. But with Musk’s political antics ongoing and shareholders aware of the impact on Tesla, how much more leash will they give him before losing patience?
Traditional Carmarkers Lead: Toyota and Honda continue to lead consumer perceptions in the EV market, as EV consumers look for price, range, and other practical considerations in EV car purchases. The Honda Prologue is the most widely considered car purchase among potential EV consumers. Can specialty EV makers and luxury brands persevere?
Austin Falls Flat: Despite major autonomous driving demonstration events and expansion by both Tesla and Waymo, robotaxis continue to encounter enormous skepticism from consumers, and even neutral media coverage provokes negative responses. Does AV technology actually have consumers-in-waiting, or will it struggle for a toehold in the market?
THE FAST LANE: MARKET INSIGHTS
A summary of the data from this month’s report
- A majority of direct Tesla shareholders (51%) want Elon Musk to dedicate more of his time to Tesla, rather than to government-related activities (12%), indicating ongoing uneasiness about the impact of Musk’s political activities on the company’s reputation.
- A substantial majority (61%) of Tesla-exposed investors believe that Elon Musk should focus on his businesses instead of risking his reputation with government-related activities, reinforcing the sentiment that his attention should be primarily on Tesla.
- A large majority of consumers (65%) are unaware of Tesla’s recent robotaxi demonstration that took place in Austin, Texas, with a third saying they had heard “a little” and just 3% saying they had heard “a lot.”
- Following exposure to coverage of Tesla’s robotaxi demonstration, half of consumers (50%) report decreased interest in utilizing a Tesla robotaxi while just 8% report increased interest, and a majority (53%) become less convinced of their safety, while just 7% become more convinced. Younger consumers (age 18-44), consumers with incomes of $100k-150k, and Republican consumers are mostly likely to say the coverage makes them more interested in using a Tesla robotaxi, but all groups express net decreased interest of at least 34 points.
- Tesla registers the lowest net positive perception among all surveyed EV brands, with a score of -13. Furthermore, it exhibits the highest total distrust (48%) and the lowest trust intensity score (-19) among all brands, indicating significant challenges in public trust and brand favorability.
- Over the last 6 months, views towards Tesla EVs have become less positive. Just 9% of consumers say their views of Tesla EVs have become more positive in the last 6 months, while 37% say their views have become more negative (21% much more negative).
- Toyota and Honda consistently rank highest in positive perception, trust, safety, and suitability for families among the EV brands included in the survey, underscoring their strong established reputations and consumer confidence.
- Among those considering an EV purchase, Tesla vehicles hold the top four spots for models that car shoppers “would never consider,” with Cybertruck (50%), Model 3 (33%), Model X (32%) and Model Y (32%). The EVs that were most considered were the Honda Prologue (72% currently considering + open to considering), the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (69%), the Volkswagen ID.4 (64%), Chevrolet Equinox EV (63%) and the Kia EV9 (63%).
Shareholder Perception: Elon Musk and Tesla
When asked where Elon Musk should spend more of his time, a majority of direct Tesla shareholders say that they want Musk to spend more time at Tesla. Just 12% of direct Tesla shareholders surveyed prefer that Musk devote more time to activity in government. This sentiment suggests a notable desire among direct Tesla shareholders for Musk to refocus his attention on his company, rather than government and politics.
A plurality of direct Tesla shareholders (43%) believe that Musk made the right call by stepping away from his formal role in government and that he should focus on his businesses rather than further damaging his reputation through political controversies. Just 23% of these shareholders believe that Musk should have continued his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and that his government focus will eventually lead to some upside for Tesla shareholders.
When presented with the information that any change in the value of Tesla stock will affect investor holdings in an S&P 500 mutual fund or ETF, including any target-date retirement funds, a clear majority of Tesla-exposed investors (58%) said that Musk should spend more time at Tesla. Just 4% want him to focus more on government broadly, and only 10% prefer he return to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). More than a quarter (28%) are unsure.
With Tesla’s performance impacting nearly every S&P 500 fund and retirement account, 61% of Tesla-exposed investors say Elon Musk was right to step away from his government role, agreeing he should focus on his businesses rather than damaging his reputation with political controversies. Just 13% believe Musk should have stayed at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in hopes of future upside for Tesla. Another 26% are unsure, but the overwhelming consensus is clear: investors want Musk focused on Tesla, not the government.
Perception: Tesla Robotaxi Demonstration
A majority of consumers (65%) say they haven’t heard anything about Tesla’s recent robotaxi demonstration—held in Austin, Texas on June 22—with a third saying they had heard “a little” and just 3% saying they had heard “a lot.”
After being presented with an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article describing the event, half of consumers say they are less interested in using a Tesla robotaxi, while only 8% say they are more interested. Younger consumers (age 18-44), consumers with incomes of $100k-150k, and Republican consumers are mostly likely to say the description makes them more interested in using a Tesla robotaxi, but all groups express net decreased interest of at least 34 points.
Based on the same Wall Street Journal description, 53% of consumers say they are less convinced that Tesla robotaxis are safe, while just 7% say they are more convinced that the vehicles are safe. Younger consumers are the only group to express increased convincedness of more than 10%. All groups saw net decreased convincedness in Tesla robotaxi safety of at least 39 points.
Perception: Autonomous and/or Self-Driving Vehicles
Perception: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Technology
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
** 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
EV Brand Perception: Good For Families
EV Brand Perception: Luxury
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Key Consumer Segments
Income
EV Brand Perception: Key Consumer Segments
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
