"Buyers of Rivian's R1 electric SUV are split roughly 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, Scaringe told Fortune's Andrew Nusca. "I think that's extraordinarily powerful news for us to recognize-that this isn't just left-leaning buyers," he added. "These are people that are saying, 'I like the idea of this product, I'm excited about it.' And this is thousands and thousands of customers. This is statistically relevant information.""
"Buying an EV was once an indication of left-leaning politics, but the politics got scrambled after Tesla CEO Elon Musk became the top Republican donor and a close adviser to Trump. That drew some new customers to Tesla, and turned off a lot of progressive EV buyers, with many existing owners putting bumper stickers on their Teslas explaining that they bought their cars before Musk's hard-right turn. Trump and Musk later had a stunning public feud, in part over the administration's elimination of EV and solar tax credits."
Rivian sales suggest electric vehicle ownership is not strongly partisan. CEO RJ Scaringe said customers prioritize product fit over ideology and ask similar questions regardless of powertrain. Rivian's R1 buyers are split roughly 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, representing statistically relevant demand across the political spectrum. Tesla's political shifts, particularly Elon Musk's alignment with Republicans, altered buyer perceptions and prompted reactions among progressive owners. Scaringe emphasized a long-term strategy independent of policy frameworks and argued that increased EV choices would drive broader adoption rather than relying on specific incentives or mandates.
Read at Fortune
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