Tesla cars certainly have a loyal fanbase, but not all owners are sold on the idea of driving electric for the rest of their lives. According to research conducted by S&P Global Mobility, only about 70.5% of Model Y owners believe their next car will be an EV; the others are looking back wistfully at fuel-guzzling SUVs and pickups.
The automaker may later correct this situation by starting the Cybertruck delivery en masse, but while the production is still slow, the moods in the Tesla fan community are shifting.
On the whole, owners stay true to their choice of the brand. For example, 59.9% Model S liftback owners had their old car traded in for a new one with no regrets. As for the compact-sized Model 3 sedan, it enjoys the most faithful following with 72.8% recurring customers.
Over the past year, 40.3% Model 3 owners switched from their sedan to a Model Y, and another 26.1% went for a new Model 3. As for the Model Y, it boasts the highest loyalty rating in the SUV segment with 37.3% owners choosing to buy another one when theirs gets old. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is at a distant second place here, with only 18.5% owners interested in buying one again.
18.6% Model S owners said they would prefer the Model Y as their next car and 21.7% said they would simply go for another Model S. The large Model X SUV is a choice of 11.7% Tesla car buyers, and 7.9% of those who had driven a Model X before choose a Model 3 as their next vehicle.
Last but not least, S&P Global Mobility points out that some owners upgrade from their Tesla Model S to such modern and expensive EVs as Lucid Air, Rivian R1T and R1S, and Mercedes-Benz EQS.