2023 was yet another pivotal year for EVs as the segment began to expand beyond early adopters and into the early majority. What should come as no surprise to most people is that American automaker Tesla dominated Google Trends search data for EVs last year. Still, gas and hybrid specialist Toyota remained the most searched auto brand, not by any specific state.
Table of contents
Studying the most searched auto and EV brands online
While EVs continue to dominate the global mobility conversation, there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome before we can truly reach mass adoption. While the percentage of EVs continues to grow on roads around the US and the planet as a whole, that segment still makes up a minority compared to traditional combustion vehicles.
In fact, four of the ten most searched automotive brands in 2023 had one or fewer battery electric vehicles (BEVs) available in the US market last year. to determine these comparisons, MarketWatch Guidesput together its own study of the top searched automotive brands and their respective models using key Google data. Here’s how it was gathered.
Methodology
The data used in MarketWatch Guides’ study consisted of Google Trends search volume data in the US across 12 months between September 2022 and September 2023. The key search terms analyzed were automotive-related and pertained to electric and combustion car makes and models.
In order to determine which terms were most and least associated with each state, MarketWatch either ranked by total search volume in millions, search volume per capita, or compared state data to the average for all of the US.
As a result, the highest above-average searches determined the most associated terms to each state, while the lowest below-average searches enabled the least associated terms.
2023 Toyota bZ4X (Source: Toyota)
Toyota was the most searched brand in the US
Toyota has led global market share in automotive for years, even as more and more brands go all-electric. Speaking of electric, Tesla continues to dominate the EV market in the US, but has even gained ground on legacy automakers like GM, Ford, and of course Toyota.
Although Toyota hails itself as an “electrified” brand, it currently only offers one fully electric model in the US – the bZ4X. Still, the makers of the Prius, RAV4, and Tacoma dominated the searches on Google, according to MarketWatch Guides’ study.
Here’s how the top ten most searched automakers in the US broke down:
Automaker
Google Search Volume*
1.
Toyota
37.6 million
2.
Tesla
34.6 million
3.
Honda
22.2 million
4.
Ford
20.3 million
5.
Hyundai
18.6 million
6.
RAM
17.1 million
7.
BMW
15.7 million
8.
Kia
15.4 million
9.
Mercedes-Benz
15.1 million
10.
Subaru
14.9 million
* – In millions, from September 2022 to September 2023
While Toyota garnered over 3 million more US Google searches than runner-up Tesla, the Japanese automaker was not the most searched brand in any single state compared to the national average, nor was it the least searched marque in any of those territories either.
On the other hand, Tesla was the most popular automaker in one state – Nevada. That being said, it was also the least associated automaker in a whopping eleven states compared to the national average:
Alabama
Arkansas
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
New Hampshire
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Wisconsin
Despite being the least searched brand in one-fifth of the country, Tesla is still a huge part of the national automotive conversation online and remains the darling of the EV segment (although many other competitors are catching up).
(Source: Tesla)
Tesla dominates the most searched for EVs in the US
While Tesla may have come in second to Toyota in overall Google search volume during the 12-month study, its four most popular models dominate MarketWatch’s top-ten list of most searched EVs in the US. Here’s the full list:
* – In millions, from September 2022 to September 2023
Note that when data from this study was gathered, the Tesla Cybertruck hadn’t launched and begun deliveries yet; otherwise, there’s a solid chance that all five of Tesla’s available passenger EVs crack the top ten in most searched in the US.
Even amongst the four Tesla models, there is a huge drop in searches between the more affordable Model Y and Model 3 EVs and the longer-running and more premium X and S models – more than half.
The bottom five behind Tesla are all pretty evenly spaced in terms of most searched volume and is on par with the more popular and established models we at Electrek tend to cover regularly. The way the EV landscape if shaping the rest of the industry, imploring more and more consumers to seek more details, it will be interesting to see how Google search data compares a year from now.
I’d personally wager Toyota loses its top spot to Tesla and we see automakers like Hyundai and Kia garner a larger audience of Google users. We will check in again next year!
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Palantir Technologies signage on an options contract ticker as traders work on the floor of American Stock Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Friday, June 20, 2025.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.
For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.
Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — spent its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.
While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.
Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.
Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”
Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.
What you need to know today
Fed officials divided over inflation and employment worries. Central bank governors generally agreed there were risks on both sides. But a couple — breaking from the majority — saw the labor market woes as more pressing, according to minutes of the Fed’s July meeting.
Trump likely to pick Kevin Hassett as next Fed Chair. The director of the National Economic Council firmly led the pack, according to a CNBC Fed Survey. However, respondents think the president “should” pick former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh.
[PRO] The Fed is expected to cut just as markets trade at highs. This is what tends to happen when both factors coincide, according to Goldman Sachs research.
And finally…
United States President Donald Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US. Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump has been on a multimillion-dollar bond-buying spree since taking office in January, investing in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major American corporations.
Across 33 pages of filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, or OGE, dated Aug. 12, the president outlined 690 transactions that have taken place since he took office. The documents were made public on Tuesday.
— Chloe Taylor
Correction: This report has been updated to correct the spelling of Kevin Hasset’s name.
Tesla has started offering leases of certified pre-owned cars, which is relatively rare in the industry, with $0 down as it desperately tries to move vehicles before the end of the quarter.
With the federal tax credit for electric vehicles set to expire at the end of the quarter, automakers in the US are all trying to optimize EV sales, as demand is being pulled forward.
This also applies to used EVs, as the $4,000 federal incentive for used electric vehicles will also expire on September 30th.
Now, leasing used vehicles is much less common than leasing new cars, but some automakers, or mainly dealers, do offer it.
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Tesla is getting into this business for the first time.
In California and Texas, Tesla is now offering leases on certified pre-owned (aka used) Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
These are reasonably priced and can be as low as $215 per month with $0 down for a 24-month lease and 10,000 miles per year.
Tesla also offers a 12-month lease and up to 15,000 miles annually. While there’s no down payment needed, there’s an “Acquisition Fee” of $695.
That, and the first month, is all you need to get in a used Tesla for the next year or two.
This is undoubtedly the cheapest way to get into a Tesla vehicle right now.
Tesla is trying to sell as many vehicles as possible in the US this quarter, as demand for EVs has been pulled forward due to the end of the tax credit. This is expected to result in a record quarter in the US, but it also going to create a few difficult ones in the future.
With demand being pulled forward and future buyers feeling like they missed out on EV discounts, the US EV market is expected to experience a significant slowdown over the next 12 to 18 months.
Tesla sales are down about 13% globally so far this year. While this quarter is expected to be better, many analysts still anticipate Tesla’s year-over-year performance to be down.
This year alone, Tesla added more than 50,000 electric vehicles to its inventory.
Used cars have also been piling up.
Tesla owners rushed to sell their vehicles as Tesla’s brand perception dived following its CEO’s involvement in politics.
Danish equipment makers HG build job site dumpers that help move sand, rocks, debris, construction waste, and building supplies across rugged, uneven urban job sites. And with the introduction of their newest E3000 model, they’re helping move more than three tons of that stuff without emissions and — just as crucially — without noise.
HG announced the E3000 electric site dumper just this week, adding the new 3 tonne capacity to its growing lineup of 1 and 2 tonne dumpers (that’s over 6,600 lbs., in “landed on the Moon” units). With a 180° swivel tip on the bucket as standard equipment and an optional high tip version available at launch, it should be able to handle just about anything a hard working construction crew can throw at it.
“With the HG E3000, we once again prove that electric dumpers are not only better for people and the environment. They are also more efficient, cheaper to operate, and can run more than a full working day on a single charge,” explains Nikolaj Birkerod, CEO of HG, told Power Progress. “With 3 tonne dumpers, we are proving, as we already have with 2 tonne dumpers, that we can deliver on both performance and reliability while enabling customers to save 15% per operating hour compared to a diesel dumper.”
Exact specs haven’t been released, but HG claims the E3000’s 29 kWh is good for 12 full hours of continuous, loaded operation, and that it can be fully recharged on a “standard” 220 charger (L2) in about four hours. If you’re curious about what has been released, I’ve got all that for you right here:
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The only all-electric dumper on the market that gives you 12 working hours while carrying 3 tonnes payload.
Our latest addition to accelerate 100% machinery:
3-ton payload for high-capacity material handling
12-hour working – a full day’s work without recharging
Optional high tip for quick and flexible unloading into containers and trucks
180° swivel tip as standard for precise placement of loads
Fast charging: 0–100% in approx. 4 hours with the integrated charger
Lithium 29 kWh battery with automatic heating for all-season use
One-pedal drive for smooth and intuitive operation
The E3000 is built for contractors and rental companies who demand maximum productivity without compromising on environmental responsibility.
With a carrying capacity of 3 tonnes and an industry-leading 12 hours of effective runtime on a single charge, it’s proof that heavy-duty work and zero emissions can go hand in hand.
At the heart of the E3000 is HG’s patented articulated drivetrain with four independent in-wheel motors. This unique design delivers the most energy-efficient power transfer in the industry, using significantly less power than conventional electric system. This translates directly into lower operating costs and more hours on site between charges.
No word yet on pricing or whether or not the new dumper will eventually be sold outside the European market, but we do know that HG plans to deliver the first examples of its new machine to customers by early 2026.
Electrek’s Take
E3000 w/ high-tip bucket; via HG.
While there are a lot of people outside the urban construction space who may scoff at environmental concerns, the quest for improved efficiency and cost reduction among commercial fleet managers knows no political ideology. Add in more restrictive noise regulations and the side benefits of improved job site safety and fewer sick days, and electric equipment is a no-brainer.
Simply put: If it’s better or cheaper, fleets will buy it. If it’s better and cheaper, they’ll buy two — and battery powered equipment is proving to be consistently better, in a broader scope of use cases, than diesel.
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