So much for the Tesla CyberTruck..Despite its distinctly masculine appeal, a new study from the University of Texas at Austin says ‘real men’ are unlikely to buy it anyway..That’s because EVs undermine deeply ingrained attitudes of masculinity and threaten mens’ machismo, according to UofT researcher Dr. Micheal Parent, who studies the link between identity and consumer behaviour..About 40% of all men ranked EVs as 'the worst' option for buying a car — most of whom hold what he called ‘traditional masculine views’ including sexism, homophobia, aggression and ‘anti-femininity.’.At the core of Parent’s work is the concept of “masculine contingency,” which refers to how men reinforce their gender identity and ability to adhere to social and cultural norms. Failure to meet those, he argues, leads to feelings of inferiority and a desire to “redeem” oneself through more stereotypically masculine behaviour..Like driving a gasoline powered pickup truck, for example..“Consumer good purchase decisions are made, to a degree, with consideration toward how those purchases reflect personal identities,” he wrote. .“The study indicates that masculinity contingency, or the degree to which one’s self-worth is threatened by threats to masculinity, is linked to decreased consumer preference for electric vehicles.” .It comes as EV makers such as Tesla and Ford try to appeal to a broader male demographic that emphasizes power and acceleration, or in the case of Ford’s Lightning F-150, the ability to get work done. Like regular gas-powered pickups, such as the Dodge Ram, these are reinforced through advertising..Predictably, he said the results threaten efforts to fight climate change..Despite the findings, Parent acknowledges his study is limited and suggested there is no data to show a direct causal link between masculinity and attitudes towards EVs..Car preferences were also based on hypotheticals and not real purchase decisions, adding to the ambiguity of results. Also, the study collected data online, which limited the scope of participants to those with internet access..In addition, the research relied on the participant’s self-reported sense of masculinity, which could be subject to biases. .“It is likely that many men are susceptible to masculinity threats without being consciously aware of it,” he wrote. “As such, experimental research in the precarious masculinity paradigm on the topic of consumer research would be valuable.”
