Who's leading the charge in building brand? Koto|10|2026

In this section we’re going to look at a set of 10 brands through a few different lenses to get the clearest possible picture. 

  • Sales volume (# of units sold) gives us an idea of the numbers in play. We know size has an impact on brand management so understanding scale is essential.

  • Business momentum gives us a snapshot of performance. Who's rising, falling, plateauing?

  • Finally: the - our very own 18 point assessment criteria, that puts a numerical score on brand strength.

PositionBrandSales volume

1

BYD

2,256,714

2

Tesla

1,636,129

3

Volkswagen

~421,300

4

Nio

326,028

5

Hyundai

269,169

6

Mercedes

168,823

7

Volvo

151,830

8

Polestar

60,119

9

Rivian

42,247

10

Genesis

~25,000

Unlock the full report to access all data visualizations, key findings, and expert analysis.

Tesla

Sales volume

#2

Business momentum

#8

Koto Bat

#2

Tesla remains the brand every EV maker is measured against. But its rankings tell a more complicated story: second for sales and brand strength, yet eighth for business momentum, following an 8.6% year-on-year drop in deliveries. The benchmark is still the benchmark. But others are catching up.

If we were Tesla, we’d focus on relevance and repair. The category it created has absorbed many of the things that once made Tesla feel revolutionary. The screen-first interior that once wowed is now everywhere. The bigger challenge is reputational: for many, brand and founder have become increasingly difficult to separate. Add to this the delays to the Roadster and a lack of new models relative to competitors, and the observed slide in momentum is understandable.

Its mission – “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” – still gives Tesla an enormous idea to own. The challenge is making that idea louder than the noise around it.

Provocations

  • What would it take for Tesla to feel like the future again?

  • What’s the next category-defining move in design, identity and communications?

  • How could Tesla rebuild consistency around what the brand stands for?