Why? Teens And Millennials Rank Tesla As The Coolest Automaker

Tesla has ranked as the most “cool” auto manufacturer amongst teens (13-17) and millennials (18-24), according to a brand study released this week by Google.  The survey also included appraisals of the “coolness” of Audi, BMW, Toyota, Chevy, Ford and Honda, and also Lyft and Uber.  Amongst teens, Tesla barely edged out BMW as the coolest auto brand, but amongst millennials it was one of the coolest brands overall even outside of the automotive realm – with Google, Netflix and Youtube in the lead, and Amazon barely beating Tesla.

While Tesla ranked highest in “coolness,” they also ranked lowest among manufacturers in “awareness.”  So while the teens and millennials who know about Tesla like the brand a lot, there is still plenty of room for them to reach more young people.  This is important to note for any think that Tesla might be reaching market saturation – if only some 60% of millennials have heard of the company, that means there’s still room to grow.

TheSteve - 4/5/2017 12:53:26 PM

+9 Boost

Awesome! People without money think that a product they'll never buy is cool. And this matters how? I've thought that a certain $10M Princess Motor Yacht is cool for about a decade now, but that seems not to have made any difference to anyone.

SanJoseDriver - 4/5/2017 2:54:04 PM

-5 Boost

They many never have to buy a Tesla, we are 2-3 years out from an Uber-like service where anyone who wants a Tesla will be able to rent one to get from point A to B. I can see millennials preferring this over having to outlay the cash for a car, pay insurance, parking, speeding tickets, etc.

atc98092 - 4/6/2017 8:29:07 AM

+6 Boost

SanJose: If they're going to rent one, they still need a license and speeding tickets are still a possibility. Parking may or may not be an issue, since I do see some rental outfits having free reserved parking in some places.

Tiberius1701A - 4/5/2017 2:17:26 PM

+6 Boost

It also might be because they are products of the edudoctrination/"Participation Trophy" generation.

SanJoseDriver - 4/5/2017 2:57:02 PM

-4 Boost

You also have to admit that there is something cool about a no-name startup in an isolated region away from the auto industry, with a product that has never successfully been done before, with close to a 0% chance of success and everyone betting against them... becoming the most valuable auto company in the US within 14 years.

TheSteve - 4/5/2017 4:34:19 PM

+8 Boost

I think it would be much cooler if they were profitable, met their own self-imposed sales targets and delivery dates, and would be a thriving company 10 years (and longer) from now, just so they can at least support the existing Tesla customer base... but that's just me.

mre30 - 4/5/2017 6:30:47 PM

+6 Boost

Amen to TheSteve! There is a high likelihood that Tesla will be vapors in 2 to 4 years. Just because their stock price happens to be high, doesn't mean the company has that equity in cash to actually spend.

The Tesla capital gains accrue to those people who hold the stock and have a vested interest in ensuring that the stock price stays elevated until holders decide to puke it out at some point, due to all the reasons TheSteve so observantly stated.

For one, Tesla doesn't seem to have articulated a working capital (i.e. cash funding) plan that would enable it to buy all the components and pay all the labor required to sustain Model 3 production.

There are several big, obvious, things out there that Tesla will have to overcome to survive this period.

SanJoseDriver - 4/23/2017 7:46:36 PM

+1 Boost

@Aspy11 All of your statements are incorrect. Musk paid back their loans unlike the other US manufacturers that burnt up billions of our dollars with 0 return. They didn't just slap batteries into a Lotus, everything had to be custom built including most of the body. Also, the Fremont factory was mostly empty when Telsa got it. You can actually tour the factory and it looks nothing like a traditional car factory. It is easily the most automated and advanced factory of its kind, almost all of the equipment purpose-built for Tesla. The Model 3 lines are even more automated.

iamdabest1 - 4/5/2017 11:55:08 PM

+3 Boost

a wise man once said " he's a kid, and kids are stupid " Marv ( home alone )
seriously ?? what the hell do they know !?