By SONYA GUGLIARA, US REPORTER
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New data has revealed the most popular vehicles among liberals and conservatives in one of the most critical swing states – and Tesla’s Cybertruck flopped on both sides of the political aisle.
The Philadelphia Inquirer analyzed the information of more than 11 million cars registered in the state of Pennsylvania since April.
Details about vehicles’ brands and makes were traced back to drivers’ zip codes to determine the most prominent cars in each area.
Ford and Chevrolet trucks are two of the most popular vehicles for conservatives, while Toyota and Honda Sedans and SUVs, as well as electric vehicles won the liberal vote.
In Pennsylvania – a state that Republican Donald Trump won in 2024 and Democrat Joe Biden won in 2020 – political tensions run high among residents.
But Republicans and Democrats in the battleground state did agree on one thing.
While EVs, specifically Teslas, are a top pick among liberals, and trucks are a common choice among Republicans, the Cybertruck does not resonate with either side.
There are only 883 Cybertrucks registered in the entire state. In liberal Philadelphia, they account for only 38 of its half a million vehicles.
Ford pickup trucks are some of the most popular vehicles among conservative Pennsylvanians (pictured: a Ford F-150)
Japanese brands, such as Toyota, are common among liberals in Pennsylvania (pictured: a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid SUV)
In April, only 52 new Cybertrucks were purchased in the state. While they are expensive, with a new Cybetruck costing about $80,000, this price is not too far off from a high-end Ford truck model.
Most of the state’s Teslas were models sold from 2023 or earlier. Elon Musk’s affiliation with Trump seemingly influenced his car brand’s popularity, according to the Inquirer.
There are roughly 42,000 registered Teslas in Pennsylvania, with most concentrated in Philadelphia’s blue and wealthy suburbs.
According to a June Pew Research study, 48 percent of American Democrats said they would consider buying an EV, while only 18 percent of the country’s Republicans said the same.
Other than a distaste for Cybertrucks, the differences between conservative and liberal car preferences are jarring.
Pennsylvania conservatives favor American-made pickup trucks, while two-thirds of all liberal-owned passenger vehicles are from foreign brands.
Ford trucks are a top pick in overwhelmingly right-leaning regions.
The Inquirer found 78,954 Ford trucks registered in zip codes where two-thirds of all voters are Republican.
Pressure imposed by Trump’s tariffs on companies including Honda, Toyota and Nissan could hit left-leaning drivers the most (pictured: a Toyota CR-V Hybrid SUV)
Chevrolet trucks are some of the most popular vehicles for conservative in the battleground state (pictured: a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck)
Republicans and Democrats in the battleground state did agree on one thing: their distaste for Cybertrucks
Ford trucks in these Republican hot spots account for 10 percent of all passenger vehicles, the highest percentage of any brand or style of car in the state.
Meanwhile, in areas where two-thirds of residents voted Democrat, Ford trucks account for just four percent of vehicles.
The popularity of pickup trucks among conservatives is nothing new. A 2008 US News Survey found that 15 percent of Republicans drove pickup trucks compared to just three percent of Democrats.
‘My grandfather worked on the line in Detroit for Ford for 20 years,’ Mark Williford, a Republican from Sellersville who owns a 2012 Ford Escape, told The Inquirer.
American truck sales may soon spike, as Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill included a tax break for up to $10,000 of loan interest for new vehicles that have ‘final assembly’ in the US.
This is intended to encourage customers to opt for US brands like Ford and Chevy instead of sourcing their vehicles from out of the country.
Meanwhile, in predominantly Democratic areas such as Philadelphia, more than two-thirds of cars and trucks come from Korean or Japanese companies.
This means the pressure imposed by Trump’s tariffs on companies including Honda, Toyota and Nissan could hit left-leaning drivers the most.
In July, Japan and South Korea entered an automotive trade deal with Trump, imposing a 15 percent tariff on all cars and car parts coming into the US from those nations.
While Teslas remain a popular choice among liberals, Elon Musk’s association with President Donald Trump has seemingly influenced buyer habits
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Political differences aside, some models are just as popular in conservative areas of Pennsylvania as they are in liberal ones.
The Chevy sedan, for example, is an American brand that appeals to conservatives and liberals.
They account for three percent of passenger vehicles in both mainly blue and red areas.
Jeep and Subaru SUVs make up roughly six percent and five percent, respectively, of passenger vehicles in conservative zip codes, and about four percent of vehicles in liberal ones.
Jeep and Subaru SUVs are among the top 10 most-owned passenger vehicles in both Democratic and Republican regions of Pennsylvania.
‘There’s something about the [Jeep] Wrangler and Grand Cherokee especially that resonates with both city drivers and folks out in the country,’ Marc Lavoie, founder of Puzzle Auto, an AI-powered operating system for car dealerships, told The Inquirer.
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Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
