Survey Finds Elon Musk Harms Tesla More Than BYD’s China Ties

A European survey of 1,861 consumers shows Elon Musk negatively impacts Tesla’s perception twice as much as BYD’s ties to the Chinese government. Musk’s political activity, notably his support for Donald Trump, lowers Tesla’s net favorability to -42 and purchase likelihood to -40, the survey’s most damaging factor for the brand. BYD’s Chinese government links cause a smaller net penalty of -13. Musk’s image is negative across major EU markets, with net favorability dropping from -31 to -47 when his political donations are recalled. Despite this, Tesla’s European sales are showing signs of reco

• Tesla’s net favorability drops to -42 due to Musk’s political activity
• BYD’s China ties cause a net penalty of -13
• 58% of Europeans hold a negative view of Musk; 27% positive

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