Tesla dominates Kelley Blue Book Luxury Brand 2020 Awards

Tesla cleaned house in the 2020 Kelley Blue Book Luxury Brand Image awards announced today. In fact, if it weren’t for an aberration in the “Most Trusted” category, Tesla would have gotten the full 6 category sweep.

The list can be seen here and Tesla can be seen absolutely owning the Luxury Car category.

For the first time, upstart EV-maker Tesla breaks into the Overall Brand Award. For several years, it had been knocking at the door with its Model S and Model 3, snagging individual model recognition by KBB shoppers. By producing its one-millionth vehicle, Tesla demonstrates that it’s here to stay as a force in the new vehicle market. In addition to its large volume Model 3, it continues to set the pace with its Model S luxury sedan and Model X people-mover.

Tesla is, of course, no stranger to winning awards starting with the Model S Car of the Year award in 2012. Since then it has racked up a number of industry accolades.

KBB’s list, however, is notable for Tesla’s total domination in 5 of the 6 categories including Overall Luxury Brand.

Kelley describes its awards process thusly:

The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards are given in recognition of automakers who excel in creating and maintaining brand attributes that create excitement about their products. This favorable brand image can attract the attention of new car shoppers, a critical element in their ultimate success in the marketplace.

Importantly, EVs are now a thing:

New vehicles are important as a means of transportation, but also as a way for buyers to express themselves. How important is this? Look at a notable development with this year’s awards. An electric-car maker has broken through to come out on top in a number of categories. This reflects a paradigm shift in consumer attitudes towards the types of vehicles they admire and aspire to own. It also bodes well for similar products which a wide swath of manufacturers have announced.

And this isn’t opinion, it is data-driven:

This data doesn’t come from an online poll or a quick survey. The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards draw on insights from more than 12,000 in-market, new-vehicle shoppers who research their purchases on KBB.com. This data is compiled as part of our annual Brand Watch Study, which is designed to track consumer trends and attitudes towards new vehicles on the market today.

As for the Trust category, Lexus won with KBB saying:

For the fifth time in a row, Lexus is the luxury brand shoppers trust the most. Now celebrating its third decade in the industry, Toyota’s luxury brand has an established track record for delivering high quality, class-leading luxury and cutting-edge technology with a wide range of vehicles that deliver high resale value.

Electrek’s Take:

We’re seeing a real shift in buyer sentiments when it comes to electrification. Tesla is the clear winner as a brand that is 100% all-in on electrification and that brand image matters when it comes to making purchases.

Additionally, Tesla’s halo vehicles like the New Roadster, Cybertruck, and Performance models are aspirational yet accessible products that show the future of automobiles.