EXECUTIVE DASHBOARD
Your high-voltage overview of the current EV and self-driving vehicle landscape
Elon Musk’s government tenure and split with Trump have significantly damaged consumer perceptions of both him and Tesla. This has led to a notable decrease in consumer favorability toward Musk (net -26) and Tesla (net -27), particularly impacting purchase likelihood for Tesla EVs (net -32).
Tesla’s brand positivity is broadly declining across partisan lines, with no clear recovery in sight. The “Trump-Musk feud” has specifically undermined Republican positivity for the brand, leaving Tesla with a -10 net positive view among all consumers, the lowest we’ve ever recorded.
There is substantial public support for government intervention regarding Elon Musk’s companies and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Consumers support ending government contracts with Musk’s companies by 10 points, and there’s overwhelming support for stricter FSD advertising rules (net +58) and mandatory accident reporting to NHTSA (net +77).
Public concern about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology is high, especially following a recent fatality. A strong majority of consumers (net +48) support banning FSD technology until it can be proven safe and support requiring all FSD vehicles to use radar and LIDAR (net +49), rather than Tesla’s camera-only system.
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
Is Tesla’s brand perception recoverable? Tesla and Elon Musk are in clear trouble following the public split with Trump. With negative perceptions accelerating across partisan lines, can the market leader reverse this trend and rebuild consumer confidence?
Will government regulation impact Full Self-Driving? There is strong public support for stricter government oversight of Tesla’s FSD technology, including calls for banning it until proven safe and mandating radar/LIDAR use. How will increasing regulatory pressure affect the development and consumer acceptance of FSD?
Can traditional automakers maintain their EV lead? Toyota and Honda continue to lead in overall EV brand positivity and trust, but Tesla’s negative trajectory highlights a shifting landscape. Will established manufacturers be able to hold on as the EV market matures, or will they be outmaneuvered by new entrants or a rebounding Tesla?
Will trust and safety concerns hinder autonomous vehicle adoption? Despite excitement around benefits and successful public demos, significant consumer concerns persist regarding the safety, reliability, and lack of human intervention in autonomous taxis. How will these fears impact the widespread adoption of self-driving services, and can technology overcome these trust barriers?
THE FAST LANE: MARKET INSIGHTS
A summary of the data on perceptions of Elon Musk and Tesla following his exit from government
- Elon Musk’s time in government and public split with Donald Trump has had a pronounced negative impact on consumer views of both Musk and Tesla. Consumer favorability of Musk personally has moved 26 points in the wrong direction as a result of his time in government (51% less favorable vs. 25% more favorable), while views of Tesla have shifted by -27 among consumers (37% less favorable vs. 10% more favorable).
- Consumer likelihood of purchasing a Tesla EV has also decreased due to Musk’s government tenure, resulting in consumers being 32 points less likely to consider a Tesla purchase (38% less likely vs. 6% more likely) following Musk’s split with Trump. This negative impact on Tesla purchase intent even persists among Republicans, who are now 11 points less likely to consider a Tesla purchase (18% less likely vs. 7% more likely).
- All Tesla brand perception metrics continue to slide with no sign of recovery. Democrats are deeply negative toward the brand, independents are also negative, and Republican positivity toward Tesla has not increased meaningfully in a way that helps the brand. The Trump-Musk feud has further undercut Republican positivity toward the brand, which is seeing its reputation crater to -10 positivity in our latest June report, a direct result of having no reliable partisan sources of brand support left after Musk’s political turn.
- Further, following Musk’s split with Trump, a plurality of consumers support the government ending contracts with companies owned by Musk by 10 points (40% support vs. 30% oppose). Even 27% of Republicans support ending Musk’s federal contracts for companies like Tesla.
- There is strong consumer support for requiring Full Self-Driving technology advertisements to show drivers with hands on the wheel, with a net support of 58 points (69% support vs. 11% oppose), and a significant majority of consumers support requiring Tesla to report all accidents involving Full Self-Driving to NHTSA, with a net support of 77 points (84% support vs. 7% oppose).
Perception: Elon Musk and Tesla
Consumers across partisan lines overwhelmingly support Elon Musk’s decision to leave government and return to his role at Tesla. 80% of consumers overall support Musk’s decision, including 90% of Democrats, 82% of independents, and 69% of Republicans. Musk’s time in government appears to have damaged both his and Tesla’s image with consumers. A majority (51%) of consumers hold less favorable views of Musk as a result of his time in government, including 54% of independents. Meanwhile, consumer perceptions around Tesla have also soured, with 37% of respondents holding less favorable views of the brand in the wake of Musk’s stint in government.
Consumers’ stated likelihood of purchasing a Tesla vehicle and consumer views of Musk’s personal competence are both suffering as a result of his time in government. 38% of consumers say they are now less likely to consider purchasing a Tesla EV, including 59% of Democrats, 36% of independents, and 18% of Republicans; the share of consumers who say they are now more likely to consider purchasing a Tesla EV is just 6%.
46% of consumers express a more negative view of Musk’s competence, including 73% of Democrats, 49% of independents. The majority of Republicans say either that their view of Musk’s competence has decreased (18%) or is unchanged (37%).
Musk’s tenure as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has had a notable negative impact on consumer intent when it comes to purchasing a Tesla. 33% of all consumers surveyed say that they’d be less likely to consider purchasing a Tesla EV, including 54% of Democrats and 30% of independents.
When it comes to the prospect of the government ending contracts with companies that Musk owns, a plurality of consumers (40%) support terminating Musk’s government contracts. 53% of Democrats and 38% of independents expressed support for President Trump’s suggestion, while 41% of Republicans oppose any government attempt to end contracts with companies Musk owns.
Opinion: Full Self-Driving Regulation
Consumers largely agree that advertisements for Full Self-Driving technology should depict drivers with their hands on the wheel. 69% of all consumers support requiring all ads to show drivers with their hands on the wheel, in line with both Tesla’s owner’s manual and federal safety guidelines. Support is consistent across party lines, with 71% of Democrats, 69% of independents, and 70% of Republicans.
An overwhelming 84% of Americans support requiring Tesla to report all accidents involving full self-driving technology to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This includes 85% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 84% of Republicans.
Following the death of a 73-year-old woman linked to Tesla’s full self-driving software, a strong majority (68%) support banning full self-driving technology until it can be proven safe. Support is especially high among Democrats (75%) and remains strong among Republicans (66%) and independents (63%).
When presented with a comparison between Tesla’s camera-only system and Waymo’s use of radar and LIDAR—technologies that improve detection in low-light and complex environments–62% of consumers support requiring all full self-driving vehicles to use radar and LIDAR. This includes 65% of Democrats, 59% of independents, and 61% of Republicans.
Factors Driving Excitement About Autonomous and/or Self-Driving Taxis
Factors Driving Concern About Autonomous and/or Self-Driving Taxis
* 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: Safety
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Good For Families
All consumers
EV Brand Perception: Luxury
All consumers
Factors Driving Concern About Autonomous and/or Self-Driving Taxis
Perception: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Technology
Autonomous and/or Self-Driving Car 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 Purchase Factors
Factors Driving Interest in Purchasing an Electric Vehicle
Concerns About Purchasing an Electric Vehicle
EV Brand Perception: Positive vs. Negative
All consumers
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
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
