Automotive & Mobility in the Age of AI Search: EV Challengers vs Legacy Giants
When drivers ask “What’s the best electric car?” or “Which automaker leads in sustainability?” inside ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, they don’t see ten blue links. They see one or two answers.
The AIVO 100™ — Automotive & Mobility ranking shows which automakers win that visibility — and which legacy giants are already fading. Challengers like Rivian and BYD now appear in consumer queries once dominated by Toyota, Tesla, BMW, and Mercedes.
Key Findings
- Toyota (PSOS 87) — Strongest overall, consistently tied to reliability and hybrids.
- Tesla (85) — High recall in EV prompts, but 20% of mentions carry negative sentiment, amplifying controversies.
- BMW (83) & Mercedes-Benz (82) — Strong luxury recall, but visibility decays within 90 days.
- Rivian (71) — Breaks into the Top 10, now outranking Volkswagen (70) in EV-related answers.
- BYD (68) — Rising quickly in Asia, often surfaced as a direct Tesla alternative.
Analysis
- Challengers are breaking through. Rivian overtaking Volkswagen shows how AI visibility accelerates disruptors.
- Heritage is fragile. Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes still rank — but mainly for past associations, not innovation.
- Reputation is algorithmic. Tesla’s controversies are baked into AI answers, persisting regardless of marketing.
- Global asymmetry is real. BYD’s recall in Asia signals how AI can tilt geographic influence faster than traditional channels.
Governance Implications
For automakers, AI visibility is now strategic infrastructure. Customer acquisition, loyalty, and trust will increasingly be mediated by AI assistants embedded in search, mobility platforms, and in-car systems.
If a brand isn’t surfaced when consumers ask about the “best EV” or the “safest car,” invisibility becomes market share lost.