Elon Musk Podcast How Elon's Politics Torched a Million Tesla Sales
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Oct 30, 2025 A Yale study highlights that Musk's political stance may have cost Tesla over a million U.S. sales. The analysis looks into how buyer behavior shifted due to partisan effects. California’s registration drops suggest a potential shortfall in green vehicle targets. While rivals like Ford and Hyundai benefited from the backlash, the study underscores the link between politics and EV choices. With investor decisions on the horizon, Tesla must consider how to depoliticize or innovate to regain market traction.
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Political Shift Created A Measurable Sales Hole
- Yale economists estimate Musk's partisan turn cost Tesla 1.0–1.26M U.S. sales from Oct 2022 to Apr 2025.
- The paper uses county-level registrations to isolate a clear partisan demand effect on Tesla purchases.
Rivals Captured The Lost Democratic Buyers
- Without the partisan effect, Tesla's US unit sales would have been 67–83% higher over the 31-month window.
- Rival EV and hybrid sales rose 17–22% as Democratic-leaning buyers shifted to substitutes.
California Hit Hardest By Brand Pushback
- California registrations fell 9.4% in Q1 and Tesla's share dropped to 46.2%, hurting its largest U.S. market.
- The paper argues California likely would've hit 2026 zero-emission targets absent the partisan effect.