Kia vs TESLA:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, TESLA had more branded searches than Kia among electric car brands in Australia. TESLA had about 165,000 branded searches, while Kia had 69,500. TESLA made up 21.1% of all electric car brand searches we track, and Kia accounted for 8.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about electric car brands, TESLA appeared in four of the five answers and Kia in three. TESLA was mentioned before Kia in three out of four answers.
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Top electric car brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, TESLA was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Kia was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. TESLA was listed before Kia in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- BYD5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
TESLA4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Kia3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Zeekr0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Denza0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
XPENG0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Polestar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Leapmotor0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Deepal0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Ora0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about electric car brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best electric car to buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best electric cars for families?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best value EV in Australia?”
- 1BYD
Searched Google, AI Overview
“electric cars”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ev cars”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Kia or TESLA more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kia and TESLA by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten electric car brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for TESLA, Kia. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BYD | TESLA | Zeekr | Kia | Denza | XPENG | Polestar | Leapmotor | Deepal | Ora |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36.9% | 30.3% | 7.4% | 9.2% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 6.1% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.99% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.3% | 25.1% | 7.5% | 8.7% | 3.4% | 5% | 7.5% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.5% | 25.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 14.1% | 3.5% | 5.2% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.6% | 23.3% | 8.5% | 13.1% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 7% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.4% | 23.8% | 8.7% | 11% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 7.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.6% | 25.1% | 9.2% | 12.5% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 4.1% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.2% | 22.9% | 12.5% | 12.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 4.6% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 35.8% | 19.6% | 16% | 11.6% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.96% |
| Jun 2026 | 35.8% | 19.6% | 13.2% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.3% | 20.4% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 11.2% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.1% | 22.2% | 14.8% | 9.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 4.5% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.4% | 21.1% | 17.2% | 8.9% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
How has the Kia and TESLA comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- TESLA was ahead of Kia in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kia’s share of searches among electric car brands in Australia moved from 9.2% to 8.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 50K to 69.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, TESLA’s share of searches among electric car brands in Australia moved from 30.3% to 21.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.
How did search popularity change for Australia electric car brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, TESLA lost share of searches among electric car brands in Australia, from 22.2% to 21.1%.
In September 2026, Kia lost share of searches among electric car brands in Australia, from 9.6% to 8.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kia’s and TESLA’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among electric car brands
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