A majority of Swedes have a negative image of the car brand Tesla, according to a survey carried out by Novus on behalf of TV4 Nyheterna. Close to 70 percent of the respondents also state that they have a negative image of the owner Elon Musk.
– I love Tesla but not Elon Musk, says Tesla owner Sandra Johansson.
She has just parked her electric car at one of Tesla’s fast charging stations. A car she sees many advantages in, even if the American owner, businessman Elon Musk, is not one of the favorites.
– I really appreciate that they have “dog mode”, where you can signal to others that you have a dog in the car and that the air conditioning is on. Then you avoid having the windows smashed by worried people if it’s hot outside. But Elon Musk, I think, has started to get a bit extreme views. He is a dangerous man, says Sandra Johansson.
Close to 70 percent have a negative image of Musk
The TV4 Nyheternas Novus survey, which was conducted before Elon Musk’s alleged Hitler salute in connection with the presidential installation, shows that only 19% are pronounced positive towards the car brand Tesla. 47% say they have a negative opinion, which they say is due to Tesla’s working conditions and Elon Musk’s personal actions. Confidence in Elon Musk is even lower. Close to 70% of the respondents have a fairly or very negative image of the businessman, while 10% have a positive image.
– Well, I have no opinion on him. This thing about the Hitler salute, I don’t think he really meant it, so I think it’s a mistake, says Reinold Berntsson, who himself owns a Tesla.
“I think he will lose many customers”
An opinion that is not shared by Nora Elabiad who believes that it affects people’s willingness to buy one of Musk’s cars.
– We run his brand. It was not well done by him. I think he will lose a lot of customers because of it.
But one group stands out as more positive towards the car brand than others. According to the Novus survey, it is men between the ages of 35-49 who are most favorably disposed. A group that is also Tesla’s primary target group. In the survey, they state that it is the company’s role as a pioneer in the field of electric cars that makes trust great.