Hi all,

I have the impression there is much hate toward Tesla cars. Or electric cars in general in several parts of the US? Why?

I am moving from Europe to Ohio and i am considering buying a Tesla but that hate is making me hesitate.

Thanks

Greetings from Switzerland.

EDIT: i am referring the hate towards the vehicles on the road. Scratching them, taking charger out, etc. At least that’s the impression i have due to numerous videos appearing.

47 comments

  4. As someone who likes cars, I think Tesla hate and EV hate are two very different things.

    A lot of people dislike Tesla because followers of the product come off as a cult. They’re quick to react and hate receiving criticism. Now, a lot of car companies have their fanboys but Tesla is on a slightly different level. Adding to this, Tesla has also filed lawsuits (like with TopGear) for mis-representation which can be seen as hypocritical of their ‘trendy/modern’ image. Tesla has also had quality issues, which is not something you want when you’re paying good money for a car. Plus, Musk hasn’t been the most logical person lately.

    Coming to EV cars, a lot of people hate them because they’re too big of a change. Initially there were legit concerns (fires, range, safety) but we’ve come far enough to have solved most these issues. Some people in the car community also see IC engine cars as the norm, so to see ‘normal’ cars being rejected from the future is slightly saddening.

    Right now I think there isn’t much hate for Teslas outside of their car issues. If you do by a Tesla, very very few people would go out of their way to make their displeasure known.

  5. > i am referring the hate towards the vehicles on the road. Scratching them, taking charger out, etc. At least that’s the impression i have due to numerous videos appearing.

    I live in the Bay Area which probably has the highest per capita Tesla ownership in the country and have never heard of this.

    Ohio is deep in the American heartland, and probably *the* most stereotypical Midwestern US state, but even then I don’t see this happening. Never heard of it happening before.

    Electric cars are growing in popularity nationwide.

    People mainly just hate Elon Musk.

  6. Teslas are a dime a dozen here. Nobody will bat an eye if you have one.

    There are people who dislike Elon Musk and weirdos who think that electric cars are “woke”, but your chances of running into someone like that in person are very low.

  7. The hate is more towards Elon Musk. People generally like Tesla and electric cars are a good thing

  8. People who attack electric cars like you are describing are the type of person who hates change and is extremely old fashioned. There is no telling if you’d run into a person like that no matter where in the country you lived.

    I’ve certainly known people like that, but for someone to go as far as vandalizing property, I couldn’t tell you.

  9. Welcome to Ohio! Tesla’s are great vehicles, but I would not personally own one. My problem is the Door Handles. Here is Ohio, it snows and can get really cold. When we get snow or freezing rain/fog and everything has a layer of Ice, normal car door with traditional handles are already tough, let alone low profile handles like on a Tesla.

  11. >EDIT: i am referring the hate towards the vehicles on the road. Scratching them, taking charger out, etc. At least that’s the impression i have due to numerous videos appearing.

    I’ve never heard of this

  12. I’ve only heard that they have a low build quality and don’t deal with moisture well.

  13. You’re better off buying anything other than Tesla. Especially when it comes to build quality and availability of charging stations.

  14. I’m not aware of any real hate towards actual Tesla cars. Elon is a bit of a polarizing person, so there is definitely some hate directed at him.

  15. Tesla is far from the only electric vehicle company. Many people drive teslas, and many drive other electric cars. I wouldn’t buy a Tesla for numerous reasons (including safety reasons, megalomaniac owner, the really shady process my friend went through after his Tesla went off the road to avoid it being recorded) but I’d be happy with a different electric vehicles car when it’s time to replace my current car.

    To decide whether it makes sense for you will require you to look at your local infrastructure and where your electricity comes from.

  16. People hate Elon Musk, and almost all of those people are on reddit. I’ve never met anyone that hated Musk or Teslas in real life.

    The funny thing is only a few years ago Teslas were thought of as the future of cars, the pinnacle of automotive tech and engineering.

    Then Musk goes against the reddit hivemind and all of a sudden Teslas are pieces of shit.

    Don’t let reddit or other online people discourage you from getting the car you want.

  17. I’ve had a Tesla for a couple years and live in the south and have driven it all over the US without issue. I used to get the standard questions sometimes when charging in more rural places like WV but I don’t even get that anymore.

    It’s a non-issue.

  18. People are engaged in the culture war and will hate a product just because the person in charge has a different view from there on.

    Personally, I’m not a fan of these vehicles. I’m skeptical of EVs, in general, and I’m skeptical of the quality of Teslas and their supposed technologies they’re trying to promte, like self driving capabilities. I don’t think either are realistic options for the next 20 years.

    Otherwise, don’t assume ideological maliciousness just because people are stealing items from the vehicles. Some of those items are worth a decent chunk.

  19. I haven’t really hard any hate for EV’s except for people not believing they’re as efficient as gas-powered vehicles and that they might be a drain on the power grid if enough people had them.

    The criticisms I’ve heard about Tesla in general is their subscription based plans on certain functions and right to repair issues in the past.

  21. I own a Tesla model Y In New England where they are still relatively rare. People are still curious about them so I get some attention about it in that regard. I’ve driven it through two winters with no problems. Build quality is as good as any other car I’ve owned. It’s a very fun car to drive and the charging network is head and shoulders above any other network. The chargers are fast, efficient and cheap. Don’t like Musk at all but the car is awesome and it is extremely fast. So much fun.

  22. The cars are generally nice, and we might get one when my wife’s car finally dies in a few years, but there are valid criticisms:

    * Tesla owners can be kinda culty
    * There are usability concerns regarding the UI of the Model 3.
    * Teslas have had quality issues in the past (though I think that’s been resolved?)
    * Musk is both sides of the Targaryen coin flip.

    There’s also just idiots out there that hate anything that’s efficient. I live in a pretty conservative area, and while i only drive an Insight (the hybrid version of a Civic), I’ve had people roll coal at me on three different occasions. I cannot imagine EV drivers have it better. After all, I’ve seen ICE-ing at the local supercharger station.

  23. I don’t like Tesla because they are cheaply made for the price. They are priced like a Benz and built like a Kia.

    I know people are going to say, but Kias is fine, and you are paying for the tech. I can get a Kia ev for a lot cheaper, though.

  25. I am completely unaware of some widespread hate on electric cars in any parts of the US.

    The reason you’re seeing all these videos is the algorithym. Reddit/Youtube/whatever sees you watch one, maybe you searched for more, so now they’re going to feed you more of that concent.

    Believe it or not, most of the US isn’t the *CoVEN oF KaRENs gOinG eXTREME kAREN!* or wacky adventures during Spring Break like you see in the movies. Most of us are just living our lives day to day just like anywhere else.

    Get an EV if it makes sense and you want to.

  26. >Scratching them, taking charger out

    This is the first I’ve heard of that. People will steal anything, but vandalizing them surprises me. I doubt it’s all that common or it’d be in the news more.

  27. I think the problem isn’t so much with Tesla as they are problems with Elon Musk as a person.

  28. I think there are three things involved, all to some degree or another.

    One is a small subset of people who view electric cars as “woke” or a statement on global warming or environmentalism that they disagree with. They’re basically including Teslas and other electric cars in their culture war. That isn’t really aimed specifically at Tesla, it’s just that Teslas are the most visible electric cars.

    The second part is that Teslas are kind of shitty cars. They’re “high tech” but the build quality and finish level are poor for what they cost, and Tesla as a company is stubborn and hidebound about certain topics for no discernible reason.

    And then the third part is a lot of people really hate Elon Musk, and carry that hatred over to Tesla.

  30. So a couple things, first is the move from Europe to Ohio. Wow. Um get ready for culture shock and a sudden and violent end to anything to do in your life. Ohio, as a general rule, is one of the most boring places in the US, so….. have fun with that. Second, as someone who is in the auto body repair industry I can, with 100% certainty, tell you it’s one of the worst quality controlled cars on the market today. Drivetrain wise, they are fine, not spectacular but not terrible but everything else about them is just terrible. Significant panel gaps, interior trim panels not installed properly, seals not installed properly which causes both leaking and significant wind noise, missing hardware… I could go on. Combine that with the fact that they like to position themselves as a “luxury” car maker? It definitely is not. That’s the practical side of why I wouldn’t buy one, the other reason is the reputation (deserved or not) of Tesla owners being that of the Tech bro/Yuppie reputation. It’s just not a good look. My final reason is that Elon Musk deciding to try and become a vocal political voice, buying and destroying Twitter and all the other bullshit has caused him to essentially stop caring about Tesla as a company, or at least it seems that way since on top of the QC being in the toilet, their designs are all quite old at this point, the technology hasn’t advanced in any significant way in years and they don’t seem to be moving forward in any way, in the meantime most of the big auto makers now have at least 1 electric car that is on par technologically and better built than any Tesla and they are moving forward and surpassing what Tesla is doing now. So yeah, those are my reasons. As far as people vandalizing your vehicle, unplugging it etc…. I don’t think it’s as nearly as common as the internet would have you believe.

  31. They’re expensive, poorly manufactured and if you want to fix them you have to take it to Tesla. I’ve been a mechanic for over 20 years. For the average American Teslas are just a bad investment. There are many options for EVs now. You should really shop around and do some research.

  32. People are envy and think Teslas something super expensive. It is expensive, but many SUVs and new trucks are in the same range. Ignore and buy it. You will love your car. People are shorty creatures, love to hate for something. You drive Prius that hate and harass you. Just be a good driver that’s all normal people want.

  33. Hate? More like boredom. There are so many of them here with their dated styling that they just blend into the background.

  34. So, I don’t hate them enough to scratch them or unplug chargers, but I do loathe the company and refuse to ever buy a Tesla. I would love to see the company fold. My reasons:

    1. Disingenuous advertising on the “full self driving” that is not nearly as extensive or safe as advertised.

    2. Terrible reliability reputation are horrible customer service when it comes to preforming maintenance and getting repairs.

    3. Poor quality control of build quality.

    4. Elon Musk being an annoying shit.

    5. Musk fanbois believing his hype and claiming that Tesla is the only company innovating in electric vehicles. I specifically remember when Tesla announced the Cyber Truck and many were claiming it was Tesla pushing the envelope because they were the only one working on an electric truck *after* Ford and several other companies had announced electric trucks that were projected to beat Tesla to market. Ford’s predictions were accurate and there’s an electric F-150 on the market now with the Cyber Truck still not out but being hyped as a revolution.

    6. A dashboard that has no physical buttons and is just a giant touchscreen. From a safety standpoint, I think this is a terrible design flaw.

    7. Tesla refusing to coordinate with the industry and standardize. The rest of the electric vehicle manufacturers have agreed on a standard plug so that charging stations can be installed that fit all of them, except Tesla who still insist on using their own plugs. It’s holding back the broader development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure which is a big chokepoint on wider adoption of the technology.

    So, I don’t necessarily dislike Tesla drivers, but I question their decision making and I’m always a little nervous when I see one driving near me.

  36. I don’t hate electric cars, I hate Elon musk and I hate self driving cars. Tesla is both so the decision was pretty easy for me.

  37. I think that if one deliberately watches an online channel devoted to Tesla hate, then that’s what one will see.

    I live in Michigan, just north of Ohio. Teslas are becoming increasingly popular here. I have no interest in buying one, but not because I hate them. I just don’t think they’re worth the premium price (I also feel this way about standard IC cars). One of my in-laws bought a Tesla last autumn. It’s already been in the shop three times for misaligned frame parts, poorly installed seals (causing leakage into the car), etc., and he spent more than $60K on it. I’d rather pay half that price for a Chevy Bolt.

  38. Right wing / Republicans have long been associated/tied with “big oil” so their politicians have spend decades promoting oil, minimizing climate change. And the Republicans in general are hostile to societal change, loss of “freedom” like having to spend 30 min recharging vs. filling a gas tank.

    There is now also hate from the left toward Tesla and Elon Musk specifically because of his actions after his takeover at Twitter and his increasingly right wing / conspiracy theory tweets.

    Where you move in Ohio will determine the reception of an EV. You’ll get more comments/weird looks in some random small town than a city like Columbus, Cleveland, or Cincinnati.

  39. You’re spending too much time paying attention to internet cranks.

    I live in Ohio and own a Tesla. I’ve owned EVs for more than ten years. Nobody cares.

    Actually if you want to see something gloriously American look up “Buc-ee’s” service centers. It’s a fuel station chain from Texas that builds stations that are ~~almost~~ comically huge. There is one that just opened in Richmond, Kentucky about 100 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio on Interstate 75 (the road to Florida) and they are currently busy installing something like 40 Tesla charging stalls adjacent to their ~~100~~ 120 gasoline pumps.

  41. There are multiple reasons why people hate Tesla.

    For the people who scratch them or block chargers, etc, it’s probably the diesel truck-driving rednecks who also think it’s fun to roll coal. They think climate change is a hoax and there’s nothing more fun than thinking they offended a liberal. These people lack emotional maturity and appear not to have much meaningful life experiences.

    There are people that hate Tesla because of Elon Musk. Musk is objectively a douche canoe. So plenty of people associate the whole company as just being an extension of Musk. I’m not sure if that’s fair or not. But not giving Musk money because you can’t stand him is certainly a thing. There’s also levels to this. Some may not like him for being a douchebag. Others may just not agree with his politics. Musk’s willingness to turn on and off features remotely certainly doesn’t help with this.

    Then there’s people who recognize that Tesla just isn’t that great at making cars. They don’t have a century of experience with processes and QC and it shows. The fit and finish of Teslas is pretty bad. This has been well documented on the internet.

    FWIW, I used to really want a Tesla and thought about getting one. But their QC issues and Musk being a giant tool bag has kept me from getting one. Now, there are so many more options out there that it doesn’t seem financially responsible to go with a Tesla. And more models from other brands are coming out every year. They don’t even have that cool, exclusive feeling anymore, as I see them on the road all the time.

  43. I think it’s more because of the association with Elon Musk if anything. I’ve heard the cars are rather pricey and not very high quality for it but I’m not really a car person so idk.

  44. First off, welcome to Ohio! It gets a lot of crap from some people online, but it’s really a great place. As for Teslas, there are kind of some layers involved with that and someone’s hating on Tesla may not have anything to do with EVs in general at all. I, for example, would never buy a Tesla because they’re like the iPhone of cars: little more than a status symbol that doesn’t do anything better than anyone else but tries to build a walled garden of proprietary technology to keep people locked into their ecosystem. I am, however, very excited about EVs becoming the norm and ushering in our electric, gasoline-free future. I just prefer to buy from brands like Chevy, Hyundai, Ford, etc. There are some people who just hate on EVs in general probably because they just don’t like change. A lot of times it really is that simple. The one valid criticism of EVs (including Teslas) that is somewhat unique to North America (or at least the U.S.) is the fact that they aren’t really ideal for long road trips. When you have to stop every 200 miles for at least half an hour at a time to charge, that’s going to really slow things down when you’re trying to travel long distance. I think in time that issue will be totally resolved, and while I think it will always take longer to charge a battery than to fill a gas tank, I think battery technology could get to a place where EVs could go 1,000 miles between charges, which would offset how much longer it takes to fully charge from empty. I feel like I maybe kinda rambled a bit, but whatever, those are my thoughts on the matter.

  47. Two reasons:

    1. People who hate Tesla because their cars can have alot of very bad or even dangerous flaws in them, and are thus incensed by how popular they are and how loyal their fanbase(for lack of a better term) is despite all the things that can go wrong with these vehicles.
    2. People who hate Tesla because they think they’re socialists and believe that Elon Musk is Hitler because he’s rich and bought Twitter.

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