In a new survey, 67 percent of Americans say they won't buy a Tesla. Elon Musk gets most of the blame.
A new survey shows that 67 percent of Americans would not consider buying a Tesla.
That's a significant number of potential customers for electric car manufacturer Tesla in the US market. So many, in fact, that sales could crumble.
A significant reason for the widespread skepticism must be found with the company's CEO, Elon Musk.
Of those surveyed who would not consider a Tesla, 20 percent say Musk is the reason they are turning their backs on the brand.
While another 17 percent cite him as part of the reason. Overall, 37 percent of the rejecting Americans directly point to Elon Musk as the direct reason for choosing Tesla.
In comparison, 27 percent respond that the director has no influence on their decision to opt out of the car brand.
The general perception of Elon Musk among Americans is predominantly negative, according to the survey.
A full 45 percent have a very negative view of the director, while another 10 percent see him in a predominantly negative light.
This contrasts with the 21 percent who have a very positive view of him. The survey was conducted by Yahoo News and YouGov between March 20 and 24, 2025.
It included 1,677 American adults. However, an uncertainty of 2.6 percent must be taken into account.
The negative attitude towards the CEO seems to be spilling over into the view of the car brand itself. Almost half of the Americans surveyed, 49 percent, have a negative impression of the automaker.
On the other hand, 37 percent of Americans said they have a positive view of the Tesla car brand, indicating a close correlation between the public's view of Elon Musk and their view of his company.
Very few cite Elon Musk as a reason to own or consider a Tesla. Only one percent of respondents say he is either 'the whole reason' or 'part of the reason' they own or are considering a Tesla.
Overall, the survey results indicate that a large part of the American market is hostile towards Tesla, and that the CEO's personal image contributes significantly to that attitude.
In addition, 52 percent of those surveyed believe that Musk is trying to benefit himself more than Tesla as a company.
