“Bad luck” has not let go of Elon Musk: The number of customers returning to buy electric cars has plummeted, an old trend has taken over

Elon Musk mất gần 18 tỷ USD một ngày

Tesla’s advantage over other automakers has also narrowed.

Not long ago, traditional automakers were struggling to keep up with Tesla as more and more buyers ditched gas-powered cars for the brand’s electric lineup. Now, the tide seems to be turning. New data shows that Tesla brand loyalty has dropped significantly.

More and more owners are switching to rival brands of Tesla, in some cases even ditching electric cars altogether in favor of diesel trucks from brands like Chevrolet and Ford.

New research from S&P Global shows that Tesla brand loyalty in the US fell 9.4% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2025, to 58.1%. This puts the company behind Ford at 59.6%, though still ahead of Chevrolet at 58%, Toyota at 57.3%, Honda at 54.9% and Mercedes-Benz at 54.2%.

Many electric vehicle owners in the US are rethinking their decision by 2024. According to a McKinsey survey, 46% of electric vehicle owners in the US said they were likely to switch to an internal combustion engine (ICE), much higher than the global average of 29% of electric vehicle owners who said they were likely or very likely to switch to a gasoline-powered vehicle.

Image issues and “aging” lineup

Tesla’s customer loyalty began to decline as early as 2025, according to S&P Global, in part due to its aging lineup and reliance on just two hot-selling models, the Model 3 and Model Y. Both have been updated, but their platforms are years old. Without new models, buyers are increasingly drawn to rival brands with more options. In addition, Elon Musk’s influence continues to deter many car owners.

Analysts stress that Tesla’s decline is not simply a rejection of electric vehicles, but also a reflection of buyers shifting to brands that offer a wider range of models and trim options. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are among the brands that have benefited the most as Tesla sedan and SUV buyers have abandoned the brand, highlighting the brand’s limited range.

"Bad luck" has not let go of Elon Musk: The number of customers returning to buy electric cars has plummeted, an old trend has taken over - Photo 1.

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The lack of adequate public charging infrastructure remains a major problem for electric vehicles. According to CNBC, there is a huge disparity in the distribution of electric vehicle charging stations. In the United States, 60% of urban residents live within a mile of the nearest public charging station. Even in high-growth electric vehicle markets, charging remains slow. With one public charging station for every 29 electric vehicles, California, which has the highest rate of electric vehicle purchases, ranks 49th among states in terms of charging stations per driver.

Switch to other fuels, including diesel

Of those who left Tesla, 68.9% chose another electric vehicle as their next vehicle in the first half of 2025, down from a peak in 2023. The remaining 31.1% switched fuel types, with 28.2% switching to hybrids and 2.9% choosing diesel, an unusual move among former electric drivers.

Other findings from the study showed that when former Tesla owners switched to Chevrolet, 55% returned to a gasoline-powered car, 37% chose another electric vehicle, and nearly 8% switched to a diesel vehicle, according to Autonews.

Tesla’s advantage over Ford has also narrowed, with the acquisition ratio dropping from 2.4 to 1 year-over-year to 1.9 to 1. Of those who switched to Ford, half bought a gas car, 29% stayed with an electric car, 13% chose a hybrid, and 5% decided on diesel. BMW didn’t fare much better against Tesla: 47% switched to gas, 42% to electric, and 11% to hybrid.

"Bad luck" has not let go of Elon Musk: The number of customers returning to buy electric cars has plummeted, an old trend has taken over - Photo 2.

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The number of people returning to buy electric cars is losing momentum.

Overall, battery electric vehicle loyalty has fallen to 58.7% in 2025, down from nearly 68% two years ago, indicating a broad slowdown in EV acquisitions. Traditional internal combustion models still retain the highest loyalty at around 84%, although that figure is slowly falling. Hybrids are gaining ground but still lag behind both ICE and BEV.

However, it turns out that price isn’t the deciding factor. The data shows that most households are switching from Tesla to a car in the $60,000 to $75,000 price range, suggesting that the trend is driven more by preference and product variety than by saving money.

In a more competitive, more style-rich electric vehicle market, even segment leaders are held to higher standards.