Electric vehicle use in Minnesota boomed over the past decade due to the popular fleet of Tesla vehicles driving into the market.

However, the Q1 auto sales report from earlier this year, showed a drop in sales for Tesla’s EVs. The indication that there might be a slowing popularity for the brand had some experts blame the company’s CEO Elon Musk and his relationship with American politics. Even Gov. Tim Walz took at jab at Musk and the company’s business woes.

“The governor has certainly continued, to some degree, his feud with Elon Musk,” said Walker Orenstein, energy, natural resources and sustainability reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune. “[Walz] jokes about it not being the best idea, because Elon Musk is a very rich man.”

Politics could be a driving force in the drop in Tesla sales, but Orenstein explained the EV growing market is another culprit.

“Tesla’s share of the EV market was declining well before [Q1 auto sales] — I think that it reflects more options that are available to people,” Orenstein said. “At this point in time, the governor doesn’t need Tesla and Musk quite to the same degree, and that’s because the marketplace for EVs has just grown so much.”

New EV companies, and well-established automakers have been electrifying the EV market across the country, but cold weather and a lack of model options are also the reason why Minnesotans haven’t fully embraced the technology.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.