NYTimes: Elon Musk’s Politics May Be Pushing Some Buyers Away From Tesla

This is absolutely true. 

2 years ago I was very interested in buying a Tesla as my next vehicle. Now, given his erratic behavior and insane actions with Twitter, I will NEVER even consider a purchase from any company he touches. 

But as Mr. Musk's public persona has become increasingly right wing, Tesla appears to be paying a price in sales, especially to liberal and left-leaning customers who are much more likely to buy battery-powered cars than conservatives are, according to analysts and many car owners who responded to a questionnaire on The New York Times's websiteabout whether his behavior affected their views of Tesla.

His image as an erratic, impulsive manager appears to have rubbed off on the cars, raising doubts in some people's minds about their quality and helping to explain why Tesla sales have been falling. On Tuesday, the company reported that its global sales in the second quarter fell 4.8 percent from the same period a year earlier, after an 8.5 percent drop in the first three months of the year.

"Musk is a true lightning rod," said Ben Rose, the president of Battle Road Research, which has a generally positive view on Tesla's stock. "There are people who swear by him and people who swear at him. No question, some of his comments are a real turnoff for some people. For a subset, enough to buy another brand."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/business/elon-musk-politics-tesla-sales.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb