Republican Hopes for the Musk–Trump Collab Have Proven Unrealistic - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica analyzes the impact of Elon Musk’s political alignment on Tesla’s consumer base, particularly focusing on Republican hopes that Musk’s far-right political stance would expand Tesla’s market among conservatives. While Musk’s political actions have alienated many Democratic customers, the anticipated increase in Republican Tesla buyers has not materialized. A recent study shows that conservative interest in purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), including Teslas, has remained largely unchanged despite Musk’s political positioning, while Democratic interest has significantly declined. Consequently, Tesla sales have dropped rather than increased. Furthermore, the article highlights broader negative consequences for the EV market and clean energy policies linked to this political shift. Key government subsidies for electric cars have been cut, support for EV infrastructure has weakened, fuel economy standards have been reduced, and tariffs on EV components have been imposed. These developments, combined with Musk’s public falling out with Donald Trump, undermine any expectation that the Trump administration would favor Tesla. The author concludes that Musk’s decision to embrace