I almost want to see how bad the takes are, how far the ignorance goes, how many people are saying which things. It makes me feel as though I am keeping my finger on the pulse of public opinion. And right now, my fingertip is telling me that there is an endless supply of baseless dislike toward EVs, especially Tesla..
I specify "baseless" because there are actually some anti-EV sentiments that I actually have some understanding for. Mandates are one - as much as I love EVs, I don't want to be forced to drive one, and I don't think anyone else should, either. I can recognize that EVs are not for everyone, at least not in the current state of the industry and infrastructure. And while there's plenty of room for an EV in my metaphorical garage, I also just plain love the visceral, engaging, raw experience of driving my favorite ICE cars. So, it pains me that I find myself in a limbo somewhere between EV fanatic and die-hard gas burner.
The anti-EV (and anti-Tesla) vitriol I find troubling is that which has no basis in logic or reality. That which is expressed not out of critical thought, but knee-jerk hatred for a perceived boogeyman. That which represents misdirected anger toward something vaguely related or entirely unrelated. That which aims not to be constructive, but to be hurtful, often blatantly so. And unfortunately, it's the majority of what I see "out there." Many of you will have seen or heard similar things, and I am going to take a bit of time and sound off on a few of them.
Anyone who's actually driven one or ridden in one knows that it's a nice vehicle. It's quick, handles well for the size, has a functional truck bed and cabin, and gets things done just fine. And I don't want to hear about a rear frame section getting pulled off during a tug-of-war when the Cybertruck in question was brutalized prior. That's just picking the low-hanging fruit of the chronically ignorant.
Even still, we are 10-15 years into mainstream EV usage. EVs are in their infancy and are shockingly good for how young they've been under such heavy development. Battery pack cost has plummeted to a fraction of what it used to be. Range and power has improved, and daily usability has surpassed that of ICE cars for many lifestyles. Dislike them for yourself, fair enough. But it's counterproductive to try and tell people who are loving their EV that they've made some obvious mistake. Some people will try it and go back to ICE, while others will find it works quite well for them.
Again, I reiterate - much of the Tesla hate these days is from people who simply hate Elon Musk. Nothing changed about Tesla's products when he opened up about his political opinions, or when he took over Twitter/X. Public opinion of Elon Musk changed, and many people seem unable or unwilling to separate the two. Tesla is still innovating, still making epic vehicles that objective buyers love, and still pushing the industry to be more competitive in ways we desperately need in today's landscape of effective monopolies and duopolies.
A few final thoughts - I truly feel like much of the hatred toward EVs is not directed toward EVs themselves, but the idea of being forced to drive one or prevented from driving an ICE car. A very legitimate concern, but one that needs to be brought up sensibly lest the speaker appear uninformed or ignorant. Elon Musk isn't the one pushing that, certain politicians are. EVs exist in the main stream because there's a genuine market for them, and that's okay. People who want to drive them have every right and freedom to do so. Those people are also not responsible for mandates. It's sort of a case of don't hate the player, hate the game. It's a free market, and EVs have been able to compete decently well on their own merits in growing numbers every year. I think that's proof enough that claims of them being "junk" or otherwise undesirable are overstated at best. So don't waste your breath or mental energy trying to educate the unwilling - the proof is in the pudding, and it can only be denied for so long.