Tesla, once hailed as the face of the electric vehicle revolution, is now facing a steep decline in public trust and popularity among American consumers, as per a report. According to the latest Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report (EVIR), the company now holds the lowest net trust and brand perception scores of all major automakers in the US, as reported by Ars Technica. Meanwhile, Toyota, a relatively late entrant in the EV race, has emerged as the most positively viewed brand in the survey, according to the report.

Americans Turning Away from Tesla

The numbers paint a concerning picture for Tesla as just 26% of respondents said they have a somewhat or very positive view of Tesla, as per the Ars Technica report. In contrast, 39% reported a somewhat or very negative view, according to the report. That gives Tesla a net-positive score of -13, as reported by Ars Technica. The deeper worry for the EV maker is that Tesla’s "view intensity score", which measures those with strong opinions has dropped to -16, indicating far more people strongly dislike the brand than those who strongly support it, as per the Ars Technica report.

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Is Toyota Winning the EV Popularity Race?

Toyota, on the other hand, topped the charts despite having only one EV model, the bZ4X, in the market, the Japanese automaker scored the highest in both net-positive perception and intensity, according to the report.

Tesla's Worsening Decline Across All Demographics

Tesla’s fall from grace appears to be accelerating, as per the survey. In April, the company still had a net score of -7, now it’s nearly double that in the negative, and the downward trend spans every major demographic, according to the report. Whether urban or suburban, wealthy or working class, and especially among Americans over the age of 65, Tesla is viewed unfavorably, as per the Ars Technica report.

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VinFast Also Struggles, but Is Largely Unknown

Only one other brand apart from Tesla, the Vietnamese automaker VinFast, scored a negative net-positive rating, as per the report. But unlike Tesla, 92% of people said they had never heard of it or had no opinion at all, as per the Ars Technica report.

Trust Issues Plague Tesla’s Image

When it comes to trust, the results are no better as Tesla received the lowest net trust score in the EVIR, and a trust integrity score of -19, meaning significantly more people say they “distrust Tesla a lot” than those who trust it “a lot,” according to the Ars Technica report.

Despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk frequently touting Tesla’s safety credentials, public opinion is no longer buying it, as per the report. After numerous fatal accidents, many linked to Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving features, only 52% of survey participants believe Teslas are safe, as per the Ars Technica report. That’s the second-worst safety score in the survey, behind only VinFast, according to the report.

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Is Elon Musk's Robotaxi Dream Falling Apart?

Musk’s ambitious robotaxi dream also appears to be faltering in the court of public opinion, because out of over 8,000 people surveyed, only 1% had ridden in a robotaxi and said they would do it again, as per the Ars Technica report. Meanwhile, the survey found that 46% said they would never consider riding in a robotaxi and more than half believe the technology should not be legal, reported Ars Technica.

FAQs

How does Tesla rank in public trust now?
Tesla has the lowest trust and brand perception score among all EV makers surveyed in the US.

Is Tesla seen as a safe car brand?
Only 52% of survey respondents believe Tesla cars are safe, which is the second worst in the survey.