Even if this technology is becoming more attractive every day, including in the land of large thermal engines, we can admit that buying an electric car in the United States is sometimes still a militant act and concerns more and more Californian city dwellers than farmers in North Dakota. According to data from S&P Global Mobility dating from April 2022, California alone accounts for 38.9% of electric car sales in the country on this date. According to a study by the Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources published in SciencePost from April 2020, the American Democrats (main left-wing party in the country) would be more required by electric cars than the American Republicans (main right-wing party in the country).
Seen since the beginning of the century as a visionary, Elon Musk has largely won over customers of electric cars after the founding of his Tesla brand. The manufacturer – founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning before the rise of Elon Musk – quickly established itself as the benchmark electric brand in terms of image and even reduced to transforming the global automotive market with its sales results have become more than significant. But is he shocking his base of customers and angering American consumers because of his recent actions on Twitter?
Democratic motorists on the back?
For the past few weeks, Elon Musk has been increasing the sensational statements on Twitter. After reinstating Donald Trump’s personal account following a poll, he also recovered to update the “Twitter files”: many internal Twitter documents produced before his arrival, reporting on sensitive issues relating to the US elections and to censorship maneuvers decided not to influence the vote of Americans. These practices, subject to debate, are presented by some Republican figures as evidence of past collusion between Twitter and the Democrats (even if the Twitter files prove that the censorship was also intended not to harm Republican politicians sometimes either). On Twitter, Elon Musk seems to be getting closer and closer to certain accounts with Republican colors and multiplies controversial statements (especially with recent criticisms of the country’s health policy). So these statements would now influence the behavior of Tesla customers.
According to CNet reporters quoting a Tesla sales executive, “many customers are currently reportedly canceling reservations or planning not to renew their Tesla locations after being shocked by Elon Musk’s statements on Twitter”. Testimonies reported at a time when Tesla’s share price is at its lowest (-60% in one year) and when Tesla investors accuse Elon Musk of having abandoned his manufacturer to dispense with Twitter. According to a poll conducted by Morning Consult (see graph above), supporters of the Democratic camp would be less and less likely to declare themselves in favor of Tesla. At the same time, there is logically a contrary improvement in Tesla’s popularity with supporters of the Republican camp. So, are these Republican Americans going to save Tesla sales in the country by massively buying Tesla cars? And to think that a few years ago, some American conservatives blocked Tesla Superchargers with their pick-ups to campaign against electric cars! Elon Musk’s Twitter adventure could soon find another turn anyway, since he has just agreed to cede the management of the social network following a new survey submitted to Internet users. To better return to the management of Tesla?