Synthesio’s Trend Lifecycle mapping shows the relative growth rates of each model; models in the
“development” stage have relatively low volumes of online conversations and low growth rates. Models in
the “growth’ stage have both high volumes and high velocity growth; as they move into the maturity stage,
growth starts to slow down.
From September 2021 to March 2022, the Tesla Model 3 contributed the highest volume of online
conversations, but the Porsche Taycan and BMW iX gained online traction and are moving towards the
“introduction” phase with high growth rates. Conversely, conversations about the Rivian R1T have slowed
to a growth rate of 0%.
By monitoring the Trend Lifecycle mapping over time, we can see which brands are gaining – or losing –
social buzz. Comparing the snapshot below to the previous 6-month period – from March 2021 to
September 2021 – shows that the Rivian R1T moved all the way from development to maturity, meaning
online buzz slowed, whereas the Porsche Taycan had similar overall conversations volumes, but a higher
growth rate.
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Among the top 10 most-discussed electric vehicles in the US, the Lucid Air and BMW i4 have the highest
percentage of positive sentiment, 81.5% and 73% respectively. Interestingly, when we correlated
conversations about both of these models with purchase motivations and drivers of positive sentiment, the
BMW i4 and Lucid Air were most correlated with “performance and speed” and “design and comfort”; other
factors like the economic and environmental benefits did not appear as often in online conversations.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Tesla Model S have the highest percentage of
negative sentiment (48.8% and 45.9%). When looking at the top expressions associated with negative
sentiment for the Tesla Model S, phrases like “steering wheel” (referring to the Yoke), “delivery,” and “too
expensive” dominate online conversations. For the Chevrolet Bolt EV, top phrases include “speculation
about discontinuation” and “fire risk.”
Figure 2 Top ten most-discussed models in the US by positive sentiment
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Source: 09/10/2021 – 3/10/2022, public mentions in US related to electric vehicles, English only
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