Evertune is the Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform that helps brands improve visibility in AI search through actionable insights. As the most cost-effective enterprise GEO platform, Evertune analyzes over 1 million AI responses monthly per brand. Founded by early team members of The Trade Desk, Evertune has raised $19M in funding from leading adtech and martech investors. Headquartered in New York City, the company has a growing team of more than 40 employees.
Evertune's Holiday 2025 AI Brand Index analyzed AI recommendations across major car models to understand which EV brands dominate. The results reveal that Tesla has achieved high status in AI's understanding of EVs, while traditional automakers struggle to translate their EV investments into AI visibility.
What AI Brand Score reveals about EV recommendations
AI Brand Score measures how often and how prominently AI models recommend a brand when consumers ask open-ended questions about electric vehicles. The score ranges from 0-100 and weights both frequency (how often a brand appears in AI responses) and position (where it ranks in those recommendations).
For EVs, this matters because vehicle purchases involve extensive research. Consumers ask AI multiple questions across weeks or months: which EV has the best range, which is most reliable, which offers the best value. Brands that appear consistently across these queries build familiarity and consideration. Brands that don't appear get excluded from the decision early in the research process.
Tesla's 38-point lead over second place
In Evertune’s Holiday AI Brand Index Report, Tesla scored 94 out of 100, with a 38-point gap over second-place Hyundai (56). This represents the largest competitive spread in any category Evertune analyzed for the Holiday 2025 report.
When consumers ask AI about electric vehicles, Tesla appears first in nearly every response. The brand has become synonymous with EVs in AI's understanding, similar to how Tiffany is synonymous with fine jewelry or Apple with smartwatches. Tesla's 38-point lead suggests that Tesla has achieved a level of category ownership that will be difficult for competitors to challenge.
This positioning stems from Tesla being first to market with successful EVs and maintaining that leadership through consistent innovation coverage. When AI models trained on automotive journalism, technology coverage, and consumer discussions over the past decade, Tesla appeared in the vast majority of EV-related content. Model launches, Supercharger network expansion, software updates, and company news generated continuous editorial presence that reinforced Tesla's position.
Hyundai and Rivian compete for second at 56 and 54
Tying for second place were Hyundai (56 out of 100) and Rivian (54 out of 100), despite representing completely different strategies. Hyundai is an established mass-market automaker that invested in EVs. Rivian is an EV-native startup that has delivered a fraction of the vehicles. Yet both achieve similar AI visibility.
Hyundai built AI visibility through comprehensive EV lineup launches (Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona Electric) and competitive pricing. When AI models trained on automotive coverage, Hyundai appeared in discussions about affordable EVs, practical range, and mass-market adoption. The brand translated its traditional automotive strengths into the EV category through consistent product launches and value positioning.
Rivian built AI visibility despite limited production volume through extensive technology media coverage. Automotive journalists and tech publications extensively covered Rivian's vehicles as innovative entries to the market. The R1T truck and R1S SUV received strong reviews focusing on adventure positioning and thoughtful design. This editorial attention created training data presence that allows Rivian to compete with established automakers despite shipping far fewer vehicles.
The lesson: both paths to strong AI visibility work. Hyundai demonstrates that traditional automakers can translate scale advantages into EV visibility through consistent product launches and clear positioning. Rivian demonstrates that startups can build visibility through editorial coverage and distinctive positioning even without production volume.
Traditional automakers at the bottom
At the bottom were traditional automakers like BMW (42 out of 100), Audi (25 out of 100), Chevrolet (36 out of 100) and Nissan (29 out of 100).
BMW and Audi have invested extensively in electric vehicle development. BMW offers the iX, i4, and other electric models. Audi offers the e-tron lineup and Q4 e-tron. Yet both brands remain near the bottom of EV AI visibility despite these substantial investments and premium brand positioning.
Chevrolet and Nissan struggle despite early EV efforts. Chevrolet launched the Bolt years ago as an affordable EV option. Nissan pioneered mass-market EVs with the Leaf, selling hundreds of thousands of units globally over the past decade. Yet both brands score in the bottom tier of AI visibility, demonstrating that being early in EVs doesn't guarantee lasting presence in AI recommendations.
What EV marketers should learn
The EV category reveals that brand age and sales volume mean less than cultural narrative and editorial presence. Tesla's 38-point lead over Hyundai reflects years of innovation coverage and cultural presence, not just market share.
Traditional automakers face a specific challenge: their EV models exist within broader brand portfolios. When AI encounters content about BMW or Audi, it sees luxury automakers that make some EVs, not EV brands that happen to be luxury. This positioning ambiguity suppresses visibility when consumers specifically research electric vehicles.
For EV marketers, three approaches matter.
- Measure your current AI Brand Score to understand competitive position. Tesla's 94 is nearly unreachable, but the gap between second place (Hyundai 56) and the bottom tier (Nissan 29, Audi 25) shows substantial room for movement.
- Develop clear EV-specific positioning rather than treating EVs as one element of a broader lineup. Rivian and Lucid demonstrate that distinctive EV positioning outperforms traditional automotive brand approaches.
- Generate editorial coverage that positions your brand in EV-specific contexts, not just automotive coverage generally.
Ready to understand your EV brand's AI visibility? Evertune provides AI Brand Index benchmarking specific to electric vehicles, competitive analysis, and content recommendations that improve your position in AI recommendations. Book a demo of Evertune's GEO platform.
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