Elon Musk’s controversies prompt Tesla owners to seek other brands

29 July 2023

While Elon Musk, the maverick CEO of Tesla and now the owner of X (former Twitter), continues to enjoy a fervent following, his love-it-or-hate-it persona appears to be having an impact on the very products he pioneers. An extensive survey shows that a growing faction of Tesla Model 3 owners are swapping out their electric vehicles for those of competitors, citing "disapproval of Elon Musk" as the top reason for their defection.

Ever since Musk acquired the reins of Twitter - now called X - his knack for stirring the pot has grown unabated. Frequent postings espousing his personal political and social viewpoints, as well as dabbling in contentious conspiracy theories, have given pause to many of his erstwhile fans. Musk's seeming disregard for these concerns, citing his soaring Twitter follower count as proof of popularity, has added more fuel to the fire.

Up until now, evidence suggesting a direct link between Musk's behavior and Tesla's fate was largely anecdotal. However, a recent survey conducted by Bloomberg involving 5,000 Model 3 owners brings some hard data to the table, providing a more nuanced view of the relationship between Tesla's larger-than-life CEO and his customer base.

The survey, possibly the most extensive of its kind to date, found that among Model 3 owners who transitioned to another brand, disapproval of Musk emerged as the primary reason for their decision. While this revelation may raise some eyebrows, it is crucial to keep this finding in context.

Indeed, 87% of Model 3 owners surveyed are mulling over the prospect of sticking with Tesla for their next vehicle. This suggests that only a relatively small fraction of the Tesla family is considering a change, and just one in five of those disenchanted individuals are leaving because of Musk's antics.

A surprising find, to say the least, but not all too alarming when you consider that only about 2.7% of Tesla buyers part ways because of Musk, as per the survey's findings. In the grand scheme of things, that's approximately 50,000 vehicles per year, translating into a few billion dollars. A significant figure, sure, but hardly a death knell for the EV giant.

Interestingly, the survey also paints a largely positive picture for the Model 3. The majority of owners express high levels of satisfaction with their purchases and the performance of their vehicles, underscoring the influence of product quality and customer service.

Musk's penchant for controversy, it seems, does have a discernible, thankfully minimal, impact on Tesla's clientele. However, with the majority of Model 3 owners expressing continued faith in the brand, the love for Tesla's groundbreaking EV technology endures. Whether these trends persist or evolve in the wake of Musk's increasingly public persona, only time will tell.

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