Auto Brand Loyalty Rises to 53.4% in First Half of 2026, Tesla Regains Top Spot at 63.9%

In the first half of 2026, global new-vehicle brand loyalty reached 53.4%, up 2.4 percentage points year-on-year from 2025. Industry analysts attribute this rebound to stabilizing supply-demand dynamics and inventory levels returning to normal ranges.

According to the newly released Auto Brand Loyalty Research Report, powertrain type has emerged as a key factor influencing repurchase decisions. Hybrid vehicle owners demonstrate the strongest brand stickiness, with loyalty reaching 56.5% — the highest among all powertrain categories. In contrast, battery electric vehicle (BEV) user loyalty declined, closely tied to the formal expiration of U.S. federal tax credit incentives in early 2026.

At the individual brand level, Tesla reclaimed the top position with a 63.9% loyalty rate, reaffirming its status as consumers' preferred choice. The report stresses that this metric reflects users' willingness to repurchase the same brand upon replacement — not a direct proxy for resale value or satisfaction.

The study also notes that shifts in total cost of ownership — including rising insurance premiums, uneven charging infrastructure coverage, and varying maturity across maintenance and service networks — are continuously reshaping long-term ownership expectations across different technology pathways. Notably, the report does not disclose its specific methodology, nor does it specify geographic coverage or participating automakers — making these findings preliminary observational insights.