Mapped: Most Searched-For Electric Vehicles by Country

The EV revolution has been in full swing over the last few years, with new electric vehicles reaching milestones in range and affordability.

But as with traditional automobiles, countries around the world have different favorite models.

So which electric vehicle is each country’s inhabitants interested in? GRIDSERVE pulled together a database of the most searched-for electric vehicles by country in 2022.

Using Google Keyword Planner, they gathered the volume of online searches for 317 EVs across more than 200 countries and mapped the most popular results in each location.

Lexus’ first fully electric car, the Lexus RZ, was the most searched-for model in a whopping 47 countries, more than one-fifth of the entire dataset.

The car’s unusual steering—a yoke that isn’t physically connected to the tires—could certainly make it worth a quick Google to see what all the fuss is about.

The Tesla Model 3 came in strong at second place as the top search in 35 countries, with the Kia EV6 ranked third.

Here’s the full database of the most searched for EV in each country, along with the search volume.

Aside from popular global brands, GRIDSERVE’s database also highlights regional automakers. For example, Croatian manufacturer Rimac Automobili’s Nevera was the most highly searched-for electric vehicle in multiple Balkan countries. In India, the country’s own Tata Nexon dominated search volume.

And Vietnamese brand VinFast’s electric vehicles were the top EVs of interest in neighboring Cambodia and 12 other countries across the world (though not Vietnam itself, which searched more for the Lexus RZ).

In China, where Google isn’t the most-used search engine, results favored the Tesla Model 3. But Tesla was distinctly outsold by Chinese automaker BYD in 2022.

It’s also worth noting that most of the top searches were for a sedan or crossover SUV, but not all. In the British crown dependencies Guernsey and Isle of Man, the most searched EVs were an electric minivan (Guernsey) and van (Isle of Man).

In the U.S., the Tesla Model 3 was the most searched-for electric vehicle in 2022. Breaking down results by states highlights its massive local footprint:

The Tesla tide across the map is unsurprising, given its aggressive market entry and role in popularizing EVs in the country. But as new entries continue to chip away at the market, warnings around Tesla’s projected decline in market share have begun to spring up.

Of the nine states that searched more for other electric vehicle makers, six of them were for foreign manufacturers Hyundai and Kia and three of them preferred U.S. carmakers Rivian and Cadillac.

Tesla’s popularity in countries like the U.S., Germany, and France helps gave it the most searched-for electric vehicle by sheer volume, despite Lexus winning first place in more locations.

Here are the top 10 most searched for electric vehicles by total volume in 2022:

The Model 3’s sheer popularity put it in first place. The company’s Model Y and Model S were also in the top five, where they were joined by the Korean-made Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5.

The Lexus RZ, by contrast, ranked as the 9th-most-popular electric vehicle by search volume. It had less than half of the Model 3’s search volume and was also behind the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model X, and Polestar 2.

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