The Most Anticipated & Desired EVs around the World
Electric cars were once reserved for your stereotypical tree huggers. Putting up with range anxiety, long charging times, and quirky designs was worth it if it meant saving the planet! EVs were not welcomed with open arms by the mass market for many years.
But manufacturers invested heavily in EV technology - we soon saw new models springing up left, right, and centre, with longer ranges, shorter charging times, and more attractive designs.
Now electric cars are cool and accessible.
Here at Lease Fetcher, we were eager to see which currently available electric cars have proven most popular over 2021, and which ones everyone is looking forward to most in 2022 and beyond.
We looked at search volume data for electric cars across 168 countries. Read more to find out which models are most popular currently and which are most anticipated in the UK, USA, and globally.
The Tesla Roadster is the most anticipated EV model according to Google.
The most anticipated EV of 2022 is the Tesla Roadster - globally, it has been searched a whopping 8,532,000 times in 2021, an average of 711,000 times per month!
You might be thinking, “The Roadster isn’t a new car? I remember they shot it into space!” Technically, you’re correct, but this is a new Roadster! The Roadster was Tesla’s first-ever production car (2008-12), but they packed in production and focused on their new and improved S3XY range. Now the Roadster is making a glorious comeback.
In the UK, it is also the most anticipated model (456,000 yearly searches), but is second in the US (3,312,000 yearly searches), where the Cybertruck has generated more excitement.
We don’t imagine it’ll be a model widely used amongst the general public, but the Tesla Cybertruck ranks as the second most anticipated car model on a global scale. It was searched 7,296,000 times.
The Apple Car, BMW i4 and the Chevy Silverado make up the remainder of the top 5 most anticipated model list.
The rest of the top 10 is composed of the Cadillac Lyriq, Nissan Ariya, Ford F150 Lightning, Rimac Nevera, and Mercedes EQE, in that order.
Top 10 Most Anticipated EVs by Global Search Volume
| Position | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla roadster | 711,000 | 8,532,000 | 2023 |
| 2 | tesla cybertruck | 608,000 | 7,296,000 | 2022 |
| 3 | apple car | 490,000 | 5,880,000 | 2024 |
| 4 | bmw i4 | 369,000 | 4,428,000 | 2022 |
| 5 | chevy silverado | 258,000 | 3,096,000 | 2023 |
| 6 | cadillac lyriq | 197,000 | 2,364,000 | 2023 |
| 7 | nissan ariya | 169,000 | 2,028,000 | 2022 |
| 8 | ford f 150 lightning | 122,000 | 1,464,000 | 2022 |
| 9 | rimac nevera | 106,000 | 1,272,000 | 2022 |
| 10 | mercedes eqe | 90,000 | 1,080,000 | 2022 |
The most anticipated EV models in the UK & USA
The UK and US are both pumped for the release of the Roadster and the Cybertruck, but the remaining top 10 results differ.
The UK is eagerly awaiting the release of the BMW i4 (360,000 yearly searches), Mercedes EQE (168,000 yearly searches), and the Nissan Ariya (132,000 yearly searches).
In the US, the Chevy Silverado looks to be a firm favourite (2,748,000), followed by the Apple Car (2,196,000), and the Cadillac Lyriq (2,040,000).
On the top 10 most searched models in the UK, but not in the US, are the Mercedes EQE, Rimac Nevera, VW ID Buzz, Polestar 3, and Renault 5 Electric.
Conversely, on the top 10 most searched models in the US, but not in the UK, are the Chevy Silverado, Cadillac Lyriq, Ford F150 Lightning, Fisker Ocean, and Aptera.
Understandably, the UK are drawn more to European models, whereas the US favour American-born companies.
Top 10 Most Anticipated EVs by UK Search Volume
| Pos | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches | Predicted Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla roadster | 38,000 | 456,000 | 2023 |
| 2 | tesla cybertruck | 37,000 | 444,000 | 2022 |
| 3 | bmw i4 | 30,000 | 360,000 | 2022 |
| 4 | mercedes eqe | 14,000 | 168,000 | 2022 |
| 5 | nissan ariya | 11,000 | 132,000 | 2022 |
| 6 | apple car | 7,000 | 84,000 | 2024 |
| 7 | rimac nevera | 6,000 | 72,000 | 2022 |
| 8 | vw id buzz | 3,900 | 46,800 | 2022 |
| 9 | polestar 3 | 3,400 | 40,800 | 2022 |
| 10 | renault 5 electric | 2,900 | 34,800 | 2024 |
Top 10 Most Anticipated EVs by US Search Volume
| Pos | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches | Predicted Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla cybertruck | 276,000 | 3,312,000 | 2022 |
| 2 | tesla roadster | 262,000 | 3,144,000 | 2023 |
| 3 | chevy silverado | 229,000 | 2,748,000 | 2023 |
| 4 | apple car | 183,000 | 2,196,000 | 2024 |
| 5 | cadillac lyriq | 170,000 | 2,040,000 | 2023 |
| 6 | ford f 150 lightning | 81,000 | 972,000 | 2022 |
| 7 | bmw i4 | 51,000 | 612,000 | 2022 |
| 8 | nissan ariya | 44,000 | 528,000 | 2022 |
| 9 | fisker ocean | 29,000 | 348,000 | 2023 |
| 10 | aptera | 28,000 | 336,000 | 2022 |
The most anticipated EV models for every country in the world
From our research, it's safe to say that the Apple Car is hot on the heels of the Tesla Roadster as the world's most anticipated EV on a country-by-country basis.
The Tesla Roadster tops the search volume charts in 56 out of 168 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Egypt, France, Israel, Morocco, Thailand, and more!
The most surprising result was the eagerness and excitement for the Apple Car. Although there's no concrete date on when production will start, the Apple Car tops the search volume charts in 54 out of 168 countries!
The Apple Car is the most anticipated EV in countries such as India, Japan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and many more!
In 3rd spot is the Tesla Cybertruck. It is the most searched EV in 22 countries, such as Brazil, Czech Republic, Iceland, Mexico, Russia and The UAE!
The imminent delivery of the BMW i4 has got Europe's buzzing. It is most searched in 13 countries - 12 of these in Europe - including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Norway. The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has also been eyeing up the i4 online.
Some countries prove a little more hipster in their top search choices. For example, Andorra is very keen on the Cupra Tavascan and Burkina Faso is pumped for the Toyota BZ4X!
The Most Anticipated EV Model in Every Country
| Future Models | Number of Countries |
|---|---|
| tesla roadster | 56 |
| apple car | 54 |
| tesla cybertruck | 22 |
| bmw i4 | 13 |
| rimac nevera | 7 |
| nissan ariya | 5 |
| mitsubishi airtrek | 4 |
| chevy silverado | 2 |
| cupra tavascan | 1 |
| toyota bz4x | 1 |
Every country's most anticipated EV
The Most Searched EVs for 2021
The following section takes a look at Google search volume data for all currently available EVs over the 2021 year period.
The Tesla Model 3 is still the hottest EV on the internet
What about cars that are already on the market? Globally, Tesla Model 3 takes the gold medal, with 25,440,000 yearly searches in 2021, averaging 2,120,000 per month.
It takes top spot in the UK too (1,956,000 yearly searches), but is 2nd in USA (6,348,000 yearly searches), where the Model Y pips it to the post.
The next favourite model globally is - surprise, surprise - another Tesla model, the Model Y, with 14,160,000 yearly searches.
The rest of the top 5 is then made up of the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S, and Tesla Model X respectively.
These results show that all 4 current Tesla models make the top 5 global search list for 2021.
After that, the Audi E Tron, Polestar 2, Audi E Tron GT, KIA EV6, and Ford Mustang Mach-e make up the rest of the top 10, in that order.
Top 10 Most Desired EVs by Global Search Volume for 2021
| Position | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla model 3 | 2,120,000 | 25,440,000 |
| 2 | tesla model y | 1,180,000 | 14,160,000 |
| 3 | porsche taycan | 1,090,000 | 13,080,000 |
| 4 | tesla model s | 1,050,000 | 12,600,000 |
| 5 | tesla model x | 935,000 | 11,220,000 |
| 6 | audi e tron | 828,000 | 9,936,000 |
| 7 | polestar 2 | 598,000 | 7,176,000 |
| 8 | audi e tron gt | 573,000 | 6,876,000 |
| 9 | kia ev6 | 495,000 | 5,940,000 |
| 10 | ford mustang mach e | 474,000 | 5,688,000 |
The most desired EV models of 2021 in the UK and USA
The Tesla Model 3 was numero uno when it came to EV search volume for 2021 in the UK. The American model acquired 1,956,000 searches over the year period.
The UK also seem to love the Polestar 2, a model by Volvo’s all-electric sub-brand. It received 1,116,000 searches in 2021 in the UK alone.
They are also drawn to the Porsche Taycan (1,044,000 yearly searches), the Audi E Tron (1,032,000), and Tesla Model X (888,000).
The USA are Tesla loyalists - the top four most popular model searches are all Tesla: the Y (6,768,000), 3 (6,348,000), S (3,996,000), and X (3,192,000).
Aside from Tesla models, they are also big fans of the Porsche Taycan (2,652,000), as well as the Ford Mustang Mach-e (1,824,000).
The KIA EV6 and Polestar 2 appear on the UK’s top list, but not the US, and the VW ID.4, Lucid Air and Nissan Leaf appear on the US top list but not the UK.
Top 10 Most Desired Exisitng EVs by UK Search Volume for 2021
| Pos | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla model 3 | 163,000 | 1,956,000 |
| 2 | polestar 2 | 93,000 | 1,116,000 |
| 3 | porsche taycan | 87,000 | 1,044,000 |
| 4 | audi e tron | 86,000 | 1,032,000 |
| 5 | tesla model x | 74,000 | 888,000 |
| 6 | ford mustang mach e | 59,000 | 708,000 |
| 7 | tesla model y | 56,000 | 672,000 |
| 8 | tesla model s | 55,000 | 660,000 |
| 9 | honda e | 54,000 | 648,000 |
| 10 | kia ev6 | 53,000 | 636,000 |
Top 10 Most Desired Exisitng EVs by US Search Volume for 2021
| Pos | Model Name | AVG Monthly Searches | Yearly Searches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tesla model y | 564,000 | 6,768,000 |
| 2 | tesla model 3 | 529,000 | 6,348,000 |
| 3 | tesla model s | 333,000 | 3,996,000 |
| 4 | tesla model x | 266,000 | 3,192,000 |
| 5 | porsche taycan | 221,000 | 2,652,000 |
| 6 | ford mustang mach e | 152,000 | 1,824,000 |
| 7 | vw id 4 | 143,000 | 1,716,000 |
| 8 | nissan leaf | 116,000 | 1,392,000 |
| 9 | audi e tron | 114,000 | 1,368,000 |
| 10 | lucid air | 106,000 | 1,272,000 |
The most desired EV models in every country for 2021
Carrying on from where it left off in 2020, the Tesla Model 3 retains its position as the most searched for EV on a country-by-country basis.
The Tesla Model 3 is twice as popular as any other currently available EV and takes the top spot in 64 out of 168 countries, including Australia, Denmark, Germany Singapore, and many more.
The closest challenger to the Model 3 is its older sibling - the Tesla Model X. It was the most searched EV in 32 out of 168 countries, including Albania, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, South Africa, and many more.
The Tesla Model S makes it a Tesla 1,2,3. It takes the top spot in 17 out of 168 countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mongolia, Poland, Zambia, and many more.
A special mention goes to both the Porsche Taycan and the Nissan Leaf. The Porsche Taycan was the most searched EV in 14 countries whereas the Nissan Leaf takes the top spot in 10.
The Porsche Taycan is most popular in larger countries such as Brazil, Russia and Turkey, while the Nissan Leaf takes the gold medal in Chile, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.
To our surprise, the Tesla Model Y was the most searched model in only 2 countries. We may add that these two countries are the USA and Norway - two hugely influential nations in the progression of the EV revolution.
Again, there are some surprising entries on these top searched lists. Colombia are fascinated by the Renault Twizy - it's window-less design is probably quite well suited to the tropical climate!
Whereas, Morocco, Portugal, and San Marino have their eye on the toy-like Citroen Ami - probably the strangest EV on the market to date!
Japan is loyal to the Honda E (makes sense as a Japanese manufacturer), and similarly, Romania are fans of their home-grown Dacia Spring.
The Most Desired EV Model in Every Country for 2021
| Current Models | Number of Countries |
|---|---|
| tesla model 3 | 64 |
| tesla model x | 32 |
| tesla model s | 17 |
| porsche taycan | 14 |
| nissan leaf | 10 |
| audi e tron | 4 |
| polestar 2 | 4 |
| bmw i3 | 3 |
| citroen ami | 3 |
| honda e | 3 |
| mercedes eqs | 2 |
| renault twizy | 2 |
| tesla model y | 2 |
| audi e tron gt | 1 |
| bmw ix | 1 |
| dacia spring | 1 |
| hyundai ioniq 5 | 1 |
| jaguar i pace | 1 |
| kia ev6 | 1 |
Every country's most desired EV in 2021
Conclusion
Tesla has such a domineering presence in the electric car industry that it’s no surprise that their models are amongst the most popular current models, and the most anticipated. For many, Tesla is synonymous with electric cars.
In terms of models available in 2021, the Tesla Model 3 has been a massive hit with EV buyers - it’s a powerful, environmentally-friendly model in an attractive body. It has been a welcome change for many EV buyers who were not drawn in by some of the quirkier EV designs by other manufacturers.
The suave Porsche Taycan has been a roaring success too, with Tesla’s other models, the S and X following.
Resurrecting and improving the Roadster is a savvy move for Tesla, and has created a lot of buzz amongst prospective EV buyers.
The Cybertruck was supposed to be released in 2021, and we’re excited to see its much-anticipated release in 2022.
We might still be swirling around in the Apple Car rumour mill, but that hasn't stopped the world from dreaming (searching) for an imminent announcement.
Will Apple eclipse Tesla for EV superiority in the coming years? From global search demand, it looks like Tesla might face some friendly competition in the near future.
Methodology
- We ran Google search data on Ahrefs for all current and future EV models (all BEVs).
- We used the search term 'manufacturer + model' on Ahrefs Keyword Explorer.
- We also ran Google search data for every country on Ahrefs using our respective lists of current and future EVs.
- The most searched cars in every country were determined by the car with the highest average monthly searches over 2021.
- Countries missing from the entire study include: American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, China Cook Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu.
- Access our Public Data Sources for specific country results.
- Access our Media Pack for graphics.
- All data correct as of 10/01/2022
The Most Anticipated & Desired EVs around the World by Lease Fetcher is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
