Overview

• The Nature journal study led by Williams College psychologist Alexandra Flores tracked U.S. consumer sentiments from 2023 through March 2025 across five surveys.
• By the latest survey, liberal voters’ intentions to purchase any electric vehicle had slipped into negative territory, marking the first such decline since polling began.
• Researchers warn of a “Tesla backlash effect” in which negative perceptions of Musk’s political alignment have tarnished views of the entire EV market.
• Tesla reported a 12 percent year-over-year decline in U.S. sales in Q2 2025 and recorded a seventh consecutive quarterly drop in California registrations.
• Overall U.S. EV sales dipped year-on-year through July, and industry projections forecast further slowdown after up to $7,500 in federal tax credits expire on September 30.