Owners of Tesla still love their cars, but they express discontent with CEO Elon Musk, as per a recent survey conducted by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg recently revisited a survey of 5,000 Tesla owners first conducted in 2019, and while it’s worth delving into the detailed results for Tesla enthusiasts, a few trends stand out that relate to the broader market.
By posing the same questions, these owners had many negative things to say about Musk while retaining positive sentiments about their cars.
The majority of owners agreed that Musk’s recent public statements had damaged Tesla’s reputation, and the billionaire’s acquisition of Twitter (recently renamed as X) was seen as a distraction from his responsibilities at Tesla. According to the survey, Musk is the primary reason owners are distancing themselves from Tesla. Not the vehicles.
The Tesla Model 3 received “almost universal praise” according to Bloomberg. Most owners also stated they were “satisfied” with the reliability of their cars, indicating that the Model 3 has held up well since the previous survey in 2019.
Musk, of course, has been at the center of some of Tesla’s most controversial moments, from its IPO in 2010 to his “going private” tweet in 2018, and ambitious product plans that have included the Cybertruck, Roadster, and Semi on a tight timeline.
Respondents were already aware of many of these controversies when Bloomberg conducted the first survey in 2019. However, the survey’s portrayal of Tesla’s CEO was more positive than in 2023.
Why some Tesla owners are drifting away from the brand (from Bloomberg’s 2023 Tesla owner survey)
One change is that Musk has become more openly political and outspoken about any right-leaning political stance. Most respondents agreed that Musk should stay out of politics. Opinions about him were worse among those who closely follow his public statements, and even worse among Democrats, according to Bloomberg. Those who voted for Donald Trump had more positive opinions about Musk, although even that contingent wasn’t thrilled with Musk’s purchase of Twitter.
However, aversion to Musk doesn’t seem to be enough to deter the majority of Tesla owners from returning to the brand. Almost 75% of surveyed Model 3 owners planning to buy a new car in the next two years said they were considering another Tesla. Just over 50% said the Cybertruck topped their lists.
Model 3 owners considering a non-Tesla vehicle in the next two years are generally looking at other electric vehicles, according to the survey. The Rivian R1S and R1T were the most likely to be considered, followed by the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
