Electric Vehicles

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Electric Vehicles are a key part of our tomorrow and how we get there. If we can get all the fossil fuel vehicles off our roads, out of our seas and out of our skies, we'll have a much better environment. This community is where we discuss the various different vehicles and news stories regarding electric transportation.

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25% of Americans Avoiding Tesla Tech Because of Elon Musk (cleantechnica.com)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Three things are no secret: 1) Elon Musk benefits more than any other individual from Tesla’s success, 2) Elon Musk has gotten extremely involved in political matters (emphasis on “extremely”), and 3) many people won’t buy Tesla products because of those first two facts.

New research from JW Surety Bonds finds that 1 out of 4 Americans “avoid Tesla’s technology due to their opinions on Elon Musk.” That’s a full quarter of the US public that won’t consider great electric vehicles, including the best selling vehicle in the world, because of Musk’s highly abnormal involvement in US politics.

Before we get to more of the research, it should also be noted that Musk has been getting more and more involved, including in highly abnormal and extremely right-wing ways, in European politics — in the UK, Italy, Germany, and other major auto markets. Without a doubt, this is starting to impact consumer behavior in Europe as well.

I can’t think of anything else as significant in consumer product sales. Yes, there are some other highly politically engaged business people, but they aren’t so directly involved or tied to significant mass-market products. (I’m not counting the MyPillow guy, for example.) There are founders and CEOs of major corporations who are known political actors, but not so openly and loudly that they draw widely significant scrutiny or tarnish the brand they represent.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

How many of those 25% have the resources to consider buying one in the first place?

Tech people and bankers know where they stand.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

For me, its more about the fact that I don't trust that unhinged motherfucker to not do a mandatory update in the middle of the highway and disable braking.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

The problem is how many are still ideologically attracted to him or the MAGA movement and how likely are they to be impulse buyers. Musk already made sure to get the most money he could out of the nerds that would have no problem moving onto competitors once there was legitimate competition. There's legitimate competition, meaning that in order for Musk to continue making the big bucks, he has to appeal to the same sort of market Alex Jones was able to peddle bullshit dietary supplements to.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I refused to buy Tesla products when he decided to slander rescue divers trying to save kids trapped in a flooded cave. His politics didn't even hit my radar until later. But, yeah; fuck that weirdo and any company that associates with him. I'm happy to give his competition money.

Also WTF is the wording in that article. A lot of jumping to conclusions on a number of things.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Would they buy Tesla if Elon were visited by Luigi?

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