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Disgust at the CEO’s rightwing activism is casting a pall but conservatives are no more likely to buy EVs

US liberals have become so disgusted with Tesla since Elon Musk’s rightward turn that they are now not only far less likely to purchase the car brand but also less willing to buy any type of electric car, new research has found.

The popularity of Tesla among liberal-minded Americans has plummeted since Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and the world’s richest person, allied himself with Donald Trump and helped propel the president to election victory last year.

While liberals reported mostly positive intentions around buying an electric car in August 2023, their overall support for EVs eroded in the wake of a collapse in their opinion of Teslas, according to the new study, which polled Americans on an array of environmental actions.

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[-] ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Ill buy an EV when they can make one that has a decent range but also doesnt weigh 4 tons and cost $80k. As someone still driving what used to be a normal sized car 20 years ago, these monstrosities need to go.

Weve solved the issue of ICE pollution and created a million other problems. More pollution from tire wear, more pollution from battery waste, more pollution from producing giant battery sleds. More pollution from having to repave roads more often due to all these EVs weighing as much as two ICE cars… makes an efficient ICE engine in a small car seem like way less of a problem by comparison, at least to me

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 19 points 1 week ago

I just saw a post for a 2024 Honda Prologue EX EV with 1600 miles at a real car dealer for $25K.

It's about harm reduction. Yes, heavy vehicles are hard on tires and suspension components. They also have no engine oil or power steering fluid, and much longer coolant change intervals. And, of course, no tailpipe emissions.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

For me a PHEV is the sweet spot at current tech levels. I use zero gasoline for my daily commute, but I can go on a long trip anytime I want without worrying about charging station availability.

[-] TheRealKuni@piefed.social 4 points 1 week ago

Yeah, we got a PHEV in 2022 and we love it. I do wish it had a bit more EV range, I end up with range anxiety driving to my in-laws’ in the next city over, but otherwise it’s fantastic.

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Why would you have any range anxiety? A plug in hybrid eliminates that.

[-] TheRealKuni@piefed.social 1 points 1 week ago

Why would you have any range anxiety? A plug in hybrid eliminates that.

It’s not real range anxiety. It’s “can we make it without using gas” range anxiety. When we first got the car, and hadn’t yet taken it on any long trips, we were anal about trying to maximize our “lifetime” gas mileage for the vehicle. We had it up over 200mpg at one point! But that meant trying to find chargers everywhere.

(After a few long trips tanked that value down to something more reasonable, we don’t care as much. I still try to charge whenever I can though.)

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

I get 34 electric miles on a full charge and mostly have short trips with no gas miles. But of course even on trips longer than 34 miles, I only use gas for miles above that amount. Last time I filled my fuel tank was after a long trip late March. I still have over 1/2 of a tank left.

[-] TheRealKuni@piefed.social 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah, in the summer we get around 40 EV miles, if we avoid freeways. I do love the car.

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

I don't know about your car, but one problem with my car (Kia Sportage) is that using the heater will always require gas.

[-] TheRealKuni@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago

Not an issue for us (Ford Escape), the heat and AC can both run off the battery, but the heat does cost a bit of range (along with chemical inefficiency at cold temperature), so range is significantly better in the summer than the winter.

[-] btaf45@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

I love that I can take unlimited short trips without being concerned about the battery. And if I want I can just chill in my car for 10 minutes with AC and music going, knowing I'm not burning gas, just electricity that I can easily recharge. And I love rarely having to fill up my fuel tank.

[-] SpikesOtherDog@ani.social 8 points 1 week ago

Once something like slate trucks catches on it might make a difference. A vehicle shouldn't cost more than your annual wages.

[-] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I don't think Slate has a chance to hit that price point anymore. The Trump administration is cutting EV incentives and Slate has started changing their wording on the price. Now Slate lists it as "mid twenties". That's a lot to pay for a small vehicle with no features.

[-] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Their configurator with max spec is like $30k. If they can hit under $30k at release on a base model, I am interested. A base model Civic is $25k MSRP, a model 3 is $35k, and a Nissan Leaf is $30k.

I would be glad to be an early adopter in the hopes they can come out with an extended cab AWD with 400 miles of range that I can later swap to.

[-] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

"Max spec" is closer to base specs on other vehicles. That 30k is likely an optimistic number. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not expecting much from Slate. Maybe they'll drive enough buzz to get the market to realize there is a demand for smaller, more affordable vehicles.

[-] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

If Tesla can hit $35k with all crap they put in them, I am feeling optimistic about slate.

The kei truck popularity is enough of a display that we want tiny trucks, and with states trying to ban Kei trucks it presents a nice opportunity for the slate to do well.

[-] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

If Tesla can hit $35k with all crap they put in them

That's the neat part, they can't. That $35k they advertise is with the $7500 rebate already applied. Remove that and the price is $42,500.

[-] xyzzy@lemmy.today 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Have you actually looked at the EV market, or is this informed by vibes? Most EVs are sedan sized and reasonably priced, especially compared to all the $100,000 trucks Americans love to buy.

Hyundai makes excellent EVs.

[-] WagnasT@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

There are used chevy bolts for about $20k, they have around 300 mile range, they weigh around 3,500lbs.

Virtually all road damage is from heavy trucks and plows. The weight of two ice cars is still practically nothing compared to those.

Tires are a problem that need to be solved, microrubbers are going to be the leaded gas of our generation.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago
[-] ltxrtquq@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 days ago

The study found that EVs produce fewer non-exhaust emissions in heavy traffic situations. However, when roads are clearer, their greater weight can lead to increased particulate pollution compared to gasoline vehicles.

EVs do have one downside brought by their extra weight, more brutal torque delivery and superior power compared to gas cars: their tires wear out faster. This is also a source of emissions that affects air quality. However, while EVs can’t escape the physics brought by their extra heft, their tires don’t wear out anywhere near as quickly as some deliberately misleading headlines might have you believe, although there isn’t a definitive number stating how that’s different from a combustion car.

They shed less particulate matter overall, but they still wear through tires faster. Both of those articles are about how great regenerative breaking are, and don't say that electric cars produce less tire dust.

[-] saigot@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

I have a Chevy Bolt EUV, ~400km range, weighs 1.6 metric tons and cost 36K USD for a trim with most of the bells and whistles.

I don't drive myself but my wife uses it for a 7 hr drive a couple times a year just fine.

this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2025
190 points (100.0% liked)

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