Every country's most searched electric vehicle
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of transport, and as battery capacity continues to improve, they’re cornering more and more of the market. With several countries now planning outright bans on the sale of petrol and diesel cars within a decade, most major manufacturers are scrambling to deliver the most innovative and impressive advances.
So who are the current runners and riders? Using Google search data, we set out to discover the most coveted electric models in each nation. Which is the most searched EV in your country?
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Europe’s searches are dominated by the Tesla Model 3, with the second-highest number of countries showing a preference for the Nissan Leaf (notably Russia). The Renault Zoe took third spot overall, while the Polestar 2 dominates in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Norway.
Predictably Tesla has a monopoly over North American searches with its Model 3, while the Model X enjoys top spot in several countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Only two countries favour anything beyond the Tesla range, with the BMW i3 most popular in Guatemala and the Hyundai Ioniq the top choice in Trinidad and Tobago.
Tesla’s dominance also extends to South America, and while the results still favour the Model 3, there’s a greater mix here among the brand’s models than in other territories. The only country in which a Tesla isn’t the most searched is Ecuador, where the Hyundai Ioniq takes top spot.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model X dominate the searches here, with the Nissan Leaf coming out top in a handful of countries. Other notable results include the Audi e-tron taking the top spot in Pakistan and the Honda E winning on home turf in Japan.
The Tesla Model 3 is the most searched EV in the majority of African countries, followed by the Model X. The BMW i3 was the only other EV to come top in more than one country, winning over both Libya and Niger.
A clear win for the Tesla Model 3, which came out as the most popular EV in both Australia and New Zealand. However, the island nation of Fiji seems to favour the Hyundai Ioniq.
Brought to you by our car insurance experts at comparethemarket.com
Methodology
Using Google search data, we were able to find the most popular search term for each of the vehicles, and then compare their popularity across the world. Search volumes are correct as of February 2021 and based on a monthly average for the last twelve months.
We didn’t include hybrids (PHEVs) or hydrogen EVs (HEVs) in the sample list and took the most popular models that solely use a battery (BEVs). We also didn’t include unreleased or limited release vehicles.
Some countries/territories were excluded due to a lack of search data: (American Samoa, Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Cook Islands, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Gambia, Greenland, Grenada, Guernsey, Guinea, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Mauritania, Micronesia, Monaco, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, St Helena, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen.)
-Comparison-
The Tesla Model 3 comes out on top in almost two-thirds of the 155 listed countries. The Tesla Model X is second, as the most searched EV in 27 countries.
The Nissan Leaf managed the third-highest number of top searches by country, closely followed by the Hyundai Ioniq.
A notable number of wins were also claimed by the BMW i3 and the Renault ZOE, coming joint fifth along with the Tesla Model S.
Overall, Tesla Models came top in more than three-quarters of countries, showing how strongly Tesla has been trending.