It wouldn’t be a news day at TheDetroitBureau.com without something to do with EVs. New models and specs are dropping all the time, and we work hard to keep up with the very latest in what is certainly the biggest transition in mobility since Henry Ford sold the first Model T.
Today we’re taking a close look at the bellwether indicator of commercial success for any product: How often a given product is viewed on TikTok?
Sure, the largest demographic segment of users on the short-form video platform is between age 10 and 19, making up 25% of viewers. All told, about half of TikTokers are under 30. Those in the prime EV-buying years over 50 make up just 11% of viewers, but let’s not get bogged down in the details.
Let’s just be thankful the car leasing specialists at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts have analyzed TikTok trends and discovered the top 20 electric cars that tweens, er, viewers are searching up.
Porsche tops the list
The most popular EV with the TikTok crowd is the Porsche Taycan with 52.3 million views. Porsche’s EV sports car was originally called Mission E when it was unveiled as a concept, but got the Taycan (Turkish for “lively young horse”) name for production.
The second most popular electric among TikTokers is the BMW iX SUV with 44 million views, highlighting the popularity of big SUVs with those who hope to get their driver’s licenses someday. The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV comes in third place with 29.9 million views.
Tesla didn’t make the podium
The fourth most popular EV as measured by the TikTok scale is the Tesla Model 3, close behind the EQS with 28.4 million views. There’s no confirmation on whether Elon Musk is hatching plans to personally acquire the Chinese-sourced video platform to improve those numbers.
Fifth place honors go to the Audi e-tron GT with 17.4 million views. The fully electric SUV has been in production since 2019, so it is likely too old to gain more popularity among viewers who were in fourth grade when it was released.
The remainder of the top 10 included the Peugeot e-2008, Hyundai Ioniq 5, BMW i4, Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. This list was obviously compiled before actor Kevin Bacon and his daughter, Swoosie, began pitching the Ioniq 6 on any media that will sit still.