- Elon Musk is the subject of a new study that examined how popular he is among consumers.
- Unsurprisingly, Musk splits opinions sharply along political party lines in the United States.
- The survey reveals that internal combustion drivers, men, and truck drivers favor Musk most.
A new study from Hill Research and the EV Politics Project has officially confirmed what most of us already suspected: Elon Musk is a polarizing figure like few others before him. But what’s particularly revealing is just how sharply opinions split along political lines and automotive preferences. This 600-person survey offers some intriguing insights into where Musk stands in the eyes of voters and car owners.
Respondents are all voters with family incomes of $50,000 or more and they received the survey in November of 2024. According to the results, Musk enjoys a 42 percent favorability rating from gasoline vehicle owners. Among EV owners, only 35 percent view him in the same light.
When it comes to political party lines, Musk is even more polarizing, with 76 percent of Democratic voters had an unfavorable opinion of him. On the flip side, 74 percent of Republican voters viewed him favorably. That could prove to be a serious concern for Tesla itself since Democratic voters are almost twice as likely (27 percent versus 15 percent) more likely to be “seriously interested in buying an EV” compared to Republicans.
Now, stack on top of these results from the EV Politics Project the fact that since November, Musk hasn’t exactly warmed up to Democrats as well as center- and left-leaning voters, and it’s easy to see why Tesla itself is facing lower sales and protests in one part of the world after another. Unfortunately, it’s not just Tesla itself that’s facing backlash, as private owners are bearing the brunt of vandals too.
Finally, it’s important to note that EV Politics Project is the product of Mike Murphy, a Republican media consultant. While the data from the survey appears legit, the source of the study and its relatively small sample size are worth keeping in mind. Whether or not Musk or Tesla can manage to regain a positive reputation with EV owners or the left-leaning public as a whole is something that only time will tell us.
Lead image Whitehouse YouTube
