Study finds 41pc of EV drivers would avoid Tesla over politics

OSLO: More than 40 per cent of electric car drivers worldwide would avoid owning a Tesla, the brand run by controversial billionaire Elon Musk, for political reasons, according to a recent survey.

More than half of electric vehicle (EV) drivers -- 53 per cent -- said they would avoid certain brands or countries of production for political reasons, according to the survey published on Tuesday.More than 26,000 electric car owners in 30 countries were queried on behalf of the Global EV Alliance, an international network of national electric vehicle driver associations.

When asked to specify which brand or country of production they would avoid, 41 per cent of all EV drivers named Tesla, 12 per cent said China, and five per cent said the United States.

The survey was conducted in September and October, and the results were weighted based on the share each country represents in the global EV market.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world´s richest person, was almost inseparable from US President Donald Trump as he headed the cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, but the pair later fell out bitterly over government spending plans under the Trump-led budget.

Musk has also made headlines by supporting European far-right movements, criticising diversity policies, and making a gesture many observers interpreted as a Nazi salute.

There have been calls for a boycott around the world, but their impact has been hard to quantify.