Tesla (TSLA) stock continues to struggle this week as market conditions show no signs of improving. The former electric vehicle producer has mostly watched shares trend downward since the year began amid an increasingly volatile market.
Granted, TSLA stock isn’t the only big tech leader that has struggled lately — far from it. Many other members of the Magnificent 7 group of top tech stocks are currently slipping deeper into the red as uncertainty continues to cloud the financial market outlook.
Over the past few weeks, sentiment toward Tesla has shifted among investors. Wall Street analysts who had previously praised Musk have raised concerns about his leadership, while other financial experts have called for him to resign.
Now it seems Tesla’s road to recovery may be even more difficult than expected.
Elon Musk is facing some difficult decisions as Tesla stock continues to struggle.
Source: Apu Gomes/Getty Images
How do Americans feel about Tesla? The data is in
Since 2025 began, many news cycles have been dominated by coverage of consumer fury toward Musk and Tesla. Reports of large-scale protests and vandalized Tesla EVs continue to trend, while social media forums are full of former Tesla owners lamenting their choice to buy from Musk.
This has promoted speculation from experts that Tesla would be better served if Musk were to resign from his position as CEO. He’s even admitted that his position with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is impacting him financially. “It’s costing me a lot to be in this job,” he stated at a town hall event in Wisconsin.
Related: Elon Musk leaves out key question at Tesla all-hands meeting
Things don’t look good for Tesla right now, but a new survey cast even more uncertainty over its recovery outlook. According to data from market research firm YouGov, while 92% of Americans are aware of Tesla’s brand, only 9% would consider purchasing one of its vehicles.
The survey lists 20 automakers, of which Tesla ranks 19th, above only Buick, a brand that only 8% of survey participants say they would consider purchasing. Automakers such as Toyota (TM) , Ford (F) , and Honda (HMC) all rank significantly higher than Tesla in terms of positive consumer sentiment.
“Tesla does rank higher in purchase consideration than other, much lesser-known, electric-only car companies like Lucid (LCID) and Polestar (PSNYW) ,” Sherwood News reports. “But in terms of selling electric vehicles, its volume is closer to major carmakers that also make EVs. After Tesla, Volkswagen (VWAGY) $10.33 (-3.10%) and Honda $27.12 (-0.51%) had the top-selling EV models in the U.S. last month.”
This doesn’t bode well for Tesla, which is already facing disappointed investors. The company is preparing to report quarterly deliveries, and some reports have speculated that they could be the lowest for the past two years, due primarily to the anti-Musk backlash.
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Expectations are already low, but if Tesla’s deliveries come in even lower, shares will likely fall further. This development puts the company in a truly precarious position at a time when prominent investors are expressing significant concern.
The road ahead for Tesla looks complicated
Tesla has plenty of problems in its domestic market, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t facing obstacles in international ones. Chinese rival BYD (BYDDY) , a company that has managed to outsell Tesla repeatedly, is making notable progress and threatening its market share in China.
BYD’s low prices and advanced self-driving technology make it a dangerous rival for Tesla. But smaller Chinese automakers are advancing as well, crowding a market that Tesla needs more than ever.
Related: Tesla may have lost the self-driving war in China before it began
Things aren’t looking any better in Europe, where anti-Tesla backlash seems just as strong as in the U.S. “Tesla commanded 1.8% of the total market and 10.3% of the BEV market in February, down from 2.8% and 21.6% respectively last year,” Reuters reports.
Another factor casting uncertainty over Tesla’s immediate future is the recent tariffs impacting the automotive industry. Even outspoken TSLA stock bull Dan Ives has expressed concern about the impact they will pose on the industry, stating that he believes no one will win the current trade war.
The fact that so few Americans are unwilling to consider buying a Tesla is not surprising, given the negative sentiment emerging this year. But the concerning low numbers from YouGov suggest that upcoming deliveries will be even worse than anticipated.
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