The American public’s favorability of Tesla has fallen to a nine-year low, as revealed by a recent survey. Sherwood News first reported YouGov’s findings, indicating that sentiment among liberals and moderates in the US has dramatically decreased. On Wednesday, YouGov found Tesla’s impression score had dropped to minus 12.7, the lowest it has been since 2016. Notably, the company’s score among liberals was a stark minus 34.9, while moderates marked it at minus 9.1, contrasting with an overall average impression score of 17.2 for all automakers.
Read also: Tesla’s Stock Faces 2025 Challenges Amid Trade Policies
However, there’s a silver lining for Tesla, as its favorability among conservative Americans has seen a significant uptick. As of Wednesday, Tesla scored 7.6 among conservatives, a marked improvement from the negatives recorded less than six months prior and far higher than the minus 6 dip in 2022. This year, YouGov found that while overall brand perception might be waning, buying consideration remained steady, as 8.1% of liberals, 9% of moderates, and 8.4% of conservatives indicated they would consider purchasing a Tesla. This is only slightly lower than the 10% average for all automakers.
Despite these shifts in sentiment and overall favorability, Tesla’s sales figures have encountered a downturn in several markets. Data from the IndexBox platform illustrates a marked decline in Tesla deliveries in multiple countries. In February, Tesla’s sales dropped more than 70% in Australia and Germany and over 40% in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. While the US maintained a leading market share for Tesla vehicles, sales still fell by 11% in January, as reported by S&P Global Mobility. These changing dynamics highlight the complex landscape for Tesla moving forward. Although some analysts on Wall Street suggest that consumer approval of Tesla CEO Elon Musk may not necessarily affect purchasing decisions, the recent data reflect broader challenges that Tesla continues to face internationally and domestically.
