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I’m a little torn on this, I don’t personally think EV car buyers care that Elon Musk has an incendiary personality. Nobody cares about his insensitive engageme

I’m a little torn on this, I don’t personally think EV car buyers care that Elon Musk has an incendiary personality. Nobody cares about his insensitive engagement farming on twitter when it comes to their EV car purchase. Even TSLA investors don’t care, culturally conservative (but we know how you party) fund managers in the middle east don’t care, very sensitive Chinese state management doesn’t care, you think American urbanites that are in the market for an EV care just because he’s being edgy? Nobody cares, he’s amusing. His expensive problems are dumb and only benefit the moneyed urbanite, that $40bn purchase of twitter was a $40bn cash infusion to all those shareholders in the bay area. He’s a demented foreigner from a messed up family that we’re all going to take advantage of by enabling him to get high on his own supply, its the American way. I think the only person he could alienate are some fanboys and fangirls. The people repping merchandise. I think EV buyers care more about variety in car models to choose from. Tesla has been making the same thing for 12 years and any wow factor is completely gone, replaced by…. everyone else, some which are joining the tesla supercharger network.

roorodger 3y ago
Hey, I just bought an EV two weeks ago, and the main reason I didn't get a Tesla was Elon. So, I can't speak for other EV car buyers, but this one definitely cared about Elon's "incendiary personality" and not wanting to support him.
- bruce511 3y ago
  Yeah, but we're outliers in the real world. I mean, you're aware of Elon and Twitter, and read tech news etc. My mom (quite literally) has never heard of him and certainly doesn't link any decisions she makes to her non-opinion of him. That said, Tesla's are an opinionated car. You either like the touchscreen interface, lack of familiar car stuff etc, or you don't. You're either prepared to pay premium prices or you aren't. Fundamentally there are a LOT more EV choices now, filling more market segments. So sure, Elon's personality absolutely plays a part. He is the "face" of the brand and that matters. Sales have definitely been lost by that. At the same time, there are many other factors coming into play. It's hard to pull just one out and blame the decine of sales on just that.
  - drozycki 3y ago
    Has your mom heard of Tesla? Would she think of EVs when it’s time to buy a car? These are not fully mainstream consumer markets so the overlap between “aware of Elon” and “potential Tesla buyer” may be greater than you think. Tesla is famous for having low/no marketing spend, relying instead on word of mouth. Elon has always been at the center of the brand.
  - red-iron-pine 3y ago
    your mom isn't a tech bro with money to spare and multiple twitter handles. which are historically tesla's main audience. i also find it hard to believe your mom has never heard of elon musk, the richest man in the world, and who is discussed on like every media outlet ever. he is not the "face" of the brand, like some athlete on a box of wheaties, he's a chief executive and is actively determining the direction of the company; the cybertruck was his idea.
Tagbert 3y ago
A few years ago I was interested in a Tesla, but have written them off, primarily because of Musk. He is not amusing. My next EV will be a non-Tesla.
- mergy 3y ago
  Agree.
The_Colonel 3y ago
Companies spend billions on advertisement to give their products good associations. The goal is that you look at the product and feel a certain flavor of positive feelings (which flavor depends on the type of the product). The old Tesla had a feeling of a visionary, sci-fi, ecological, luxury (because of the price point mainly) car. Today, when I see Tesla, the main feeling I get is disgust. People are not rational actors when buying things - you often decide what you want to buy based on wants/feelings and then your brain finds a way to rationalize the decision.

roorodger 3y ago

Hey, I just bought an EV two weeks ago, and the main reason I didn't get a Tesla was Elon. So, I can't speak for other EV car buyers, but this one definitely cared about Elon's "incendiary personality" and not wanting to support him.

bruce511 3y ago
Yeah, but we're outliers in the real world. I mean, you're aware of Elon and Twitter, and read tech news etc. My mom (quite literally) has never heard of him and certainly doesn't link any decisions she makes to her non-opinion of him. That said, Tesla's are an opinionated car. You either like the touchscreen interface, lack of familiar car stuff etc, or you don't. You're either prepared to pay premium prices or you aren't. Fundamentally there are a LOT more EV choices now, filling more market segments. So sure, Elon's personality absolutely plays a part. He is the "face" of the brand and that matters. Sales have definitely been lost by that. At the same time, there are many other factors coming into play. It's hard to pull just one out and blame the decine of sales on just that.
- drozycki 3y ago
  Has your mom heard of Tesla? Would she think of EVs when it’s time to buy a car? These are not fully mainstream consumer markets so the overlap between “aware of Elon” and “potential Tesla buyer” may be greater than you think. Tesla is famous for having low/no marketing spend, relying instead on word of mouth. Elon has always been at the center of the brand.
- red-iron-pine 3y ago
  your mom isn't a tech bro with money to spare and multiple twitter handles. which are historically tesla's main audience. i also find it hard to believe your mom has never heard of elon musk, the richest man in the world, and who is discussed on like every media outlet ever. he is not the "face" of the brand, like some athlete on a box of wheaties, he's a chief executive and is actively determining the direction of the company; the cybertruck was his idea.

Tagbert 3y ago

A few years ago I was interested in a Tesla, but have written them off, primarily because of Musk. He is not amusing. My next EV will be a non-Tesla.

mergy 3y ago
Agree.

The_Colonel 3y ago

Companies spend billions on advertisement to give their products good associations. The goal is that you look at the product and feel a certain flavor of positive feelings (which flavor depends on the type of the product). The old Tesla had a feeling of a visionary, sci-fi, ecological, luxury (because of the price point mainly) car. Today, when I see Tesla, the main feeling I get is disgust. People are not rational actors when buying things - you often decide what you want to buy based on wants/feelings and then your brain finds a way to rationalize the decision.