Musk's politics have made 70% Tesla owners in UK ashamed of their car: Survey

"It’s been widely reported that Elon Musk’s political activism has drawn consumer backlash, resulting in falling sales across Europe," said Aidan Rushby, founder and CEO of Carmoola.

Elon Musk's foray into politics seems to have adversely affected his automotive company, Tesla, in Europe.

According to a report by Motoring Research on the survey of 2,000 UK adults by car finance company Carmoola, 70 per cent of existing Tesla owners said Elon Musk’s actions made them 'feel ashamed' about their choice of electric car.

Musk was vital in US President Donald Trump 2024 re-election campaign, and now heads the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump. His work there has seen a large number of US federal employees lose their jobs, as well as funding being cut off to a large number of organisations dependent on foreign aid.

Besides the embarrassment that the current Tesla owners are feeling, his politics also seem to be driving away future customers.

73 per cent of people surveyed by Carmoola stated that Elon Musk’s recent behaviour has put them off ever wanting to own a Tesla.

The survey also added that, of those surveyed, 89 per cent of women were put off from buying a Tesla by Elon, as opposed to 67 per cent of men.

Only 27 per cent of those surveyed said that Musk's actions have encouraged them to buy a Tesla.

Add to it the fact that across Europe, Tesla sales fell by 45 per cent in January 2025, in comparison to last year. Tesla had sold 18,161 cars in January 2024, but only 9,495 units in 2025.

However, paradoxically, overall Tesla sales actually rose in the past month, Motoring Research reported.

Aidan Rushby, founder and CEO of Carmoola, told Motoring Research, “It’s no secret that high-profile individuals can have an outsized influence – for good or ill – on the companies, brands or causes that they are associated with. 

“Tesla certainly isn’t immune to this, and it’s been widely reported that Elon Musk’s political activism has drawn consumer backlash, resulting in falling sales across Europe.”

Rushby added, “Whether those effects are long-term is another question, but for now at least, it seems that for most UK adults, Tesla has lost its spark”.