Политика Илонa Маска: Убытки Tesla в Продажах

Tesla sales are experiencing a decline, marking its first-ever global sales drop as competition intensifies and questions about CEO Elon Musk’s political involvement arise. Sales in the U.S. fell sharply in early 2024, and loyalty among repeat buyers is waning in Democratic-leaning states. While some consumers express disapproval of Musk’s political activities, many still prioritize price over politics in their purchasing decisions.

Tesla is experiencing a significant downturn in sales, which has raised questions about whether the political actions of its CEO, Elon Musk, are impacting consumer behavior. For the first time, Tesla recorded a decline in global sales last year, with a dip of 1%. While such a drop might be negligible for other companies, it is particularly striking considering Tesla’s previous sales growth of 38% and 40% in earlier years. Moreover, the company’s market value has heavily relied on the promise of sustained growth.

Looking at smaller time frames, a drastic 16% fall in U.S. sales was noted between December and January. This drop can often be attributed to Tesla’s year-end sales pushes to meet financial targets, leading to decreases in January – in 2024, sales fell by 24% compared to December 2023. However, the situation appears to be more complex, with multiple factors influencing these sales figures beyond just Musk’s political pursuits.

Industry experts, such as Stephanie Valdez Streaty from Cox Automotive, emphasize that it remains early to draw concrete conclusions about any backlash against Musk affecting Tesla’s sales. “We can’t pinpoint that polarization is causing people to buy or avoid a Tesla,” she stated, underlining the difficulty of attributing changes solely to Musk’s public persona.

Musk has increasingly been in the limelight due to his involvement in federal government reshaping efforts and his partnership with former President Donald Trump. At the same time, Tesla is facing stiff competition and rising prices that are eroding its market share. New data from S&P Global Mobility reveals an unsettling trend among Tesla buyers in different states.

In states that predominantly lean Democratic, known as blue states, the percentage of repeat Tesla buyers declined from 72% to 65% from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024. Conversely, in Republican-leaning or red states, loyalty among Tesla owners increased slightly. This shift implies a loss of market share for the brand, particularly in major markets like California.

A recent survey conducted by Morning Consult sheds more light on consumer sentiment. It indicates that about 32% of U.S. consumers would outright reject the idea of purchasing a Tesla, a rise from 27% last year and significantly higher than the 17% who felt the same in early 2021. Interestingly, while more individuals are dismissing Tesla from their options, the percentage of people with negative views about Musk’s involvement in politics has risen.

Polling data from Quinnipiac University reveals that a notable 53% of voters are disapproving of Musk’s high-profile role in the Trump administration. Comparatively, just 39% approve, highlighting a perceived shift in public favor. The outflow of used Teslas from current owners might also indicate a growing dissatisfaction, as the inventory of used models has surged.

There has been a marked increase in used Teslas available on the market, with Cox indicating a record average of 11,300 Teslas on AutoTrader during the last quarter of last year, up 28% from the year prior. Yet, the reasons for this influx are multi-faceted, possibly tied to earlier pandemic-era spikes in sales and typical behavior of consumers trading their cars every few years.

Compounding the sales slump, traditional automakers have stepped up their competition with new electric vehicle models emerging, some even at lower price points than Tesla’s offerings. The competition is not just from American firms like GM and Ford, but international players like BYD from China, which recently outpaced Tesla in global EV sales. Tesla’s sales in Germany, for instance, experienced a staggering 59% drop compared to the previous year.

Despite Musk’s visible support for far-right political movements, many consumers prioritize price and value when purchasing a car. According to Ivan Drury, from the car-buying site Edmunds, political ideology may not impact every buyer’s decision-making process. He noted, “A lot of people will put aside their feelings about politics when making a purchase like this and focus on price.” Thus, while Musk’s actions may play a role for some, for many it seems to be business as usual in their purchasing decisions.

Original Source: www.cnn.com