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How Tesla capitalizes on four components of great consumer experience

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Tesla may have the edge over other automakers as they make the transition to autonomous vehicles, machine learning, and cloud-based engineering. That’s because Tesla doesn’t sacrifice the thrill of driving for the ease and entertainment of mobility technology.

A new study by Group XP indicates that automakers may be failing to maintain relevance as consumer expectations turn to constant influxes of fresh engagement moments. The report, which was produced by a partnership among Brand Union, FITCH, SET, and SET Live, explores innovations in design, connectivity, and service as the key imperatives that prompt success for mobility brands. The consulting group says that consumers today feel that their lives are defined by experiences, and now, more than ever in our consumer-driven society, people are as demanding of an experience as they are of a purchase.

Businesses that have responded to this shift in expectation are flourishing, and automakers who fail to produce a vehicle that helps consumers “completely re-imagine the process of how we get from A to B” may fall significantly behind in the industry. With cars projected to transform “from being single-serving modes of transport into hyper-customizable, seamless extensions of living space,” an automaker like Tesla has been well ahead of others with its all-electric car’s visual appeal, the company’s fervent fanbase, the records for performance and quality, and for technology innovations like the Autopilot function.

How does Tesla perform according to four components of great experience brands?

The Group XP Experience Index ranks what has been called the most important marketing metric going forward: Share of Experience. Let’s see how Tesla performs.

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They must stand for something unique.  Tesla has never been just a carmaker, and its broad business goals make it stand apart from other automakers. The company will “build the machines that build the machine” through Gigafactory 1 in Nevada. It is a company that also builds Supercharger networks, solar roofs, battery packs for residences and businesses, and maybe even tunnel boring. No other automaker has the extensive business outreach of Tesla.

Aerial photos of Gigafactory 1 from March, 2017 reveal newly completed sections

They must deliver on our most important needs. In our high tech and often stress-filled society, people crave reliability and simplicity alongside careful construction and design. Consumers want to turn to a company that has mastered faultless execution to become a default platform brand that inspires and returns trust. Tesla knows and respects the needs of its customers and creates relationships that are amazingly personal for such a huge company. Part of that relationship-building comes from delivering a product that is exceptional in the marketplace and assertively visionary. It also offers a car that retains the traditional desired elements of  suspension, acceleration, and torque.

They must provide us with exemplary content. Tesla’s user interface revolutionized the way that drivers interact with an automobile. Instead of a traditional reliance on analog buttons and switches, Tesla has provided its customers with an incredibly different interior design. Their approach has had a disruptive influence on the auto industry. The 17″ center stack touchscreen, “Easter eggs” that spark curiosity, an operating system that gets frequent wireless updates, frequently upgraded Autopilot system: all provide Tesla customers with a level of content they’ve come to expect from their smartphones.

Tesla Easter Egg transforms the vehicle into the James Bond 007 Submarine

They must utilize a higher brand purpose to make all of our future lives better. The overarching purpose of Tesla has always been to “help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy” as a primary sustainable solution to the planet’s warming. A Tesla driver who travels less than 350 miles per week is “energy positive” with respect to personal transportation, actually putting more energy back into the system than is consumed in transportation. Tesla co-markets sustainable energy products from other companies along with their car. All of these and more create a company who business model exceeds profitability and will have a lasting impact on our world.

As transportation becomes less intrusive, some automotive brands risk innovating themselves out of the brand equity due to their inability to meet the four elements of shared experience that today’s customers expect. Tesla, instead of adapting a metal exterior to a series of tech applications, has integrated sustainability into performance and identity. It’s an equation that other automakers are hurrying to emulate.

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Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Tesla Supercharger left offline as Swedish court backs union strike

The completed Supercharger has been stalled for nearly two years amid Tesla’s conflict with the IF Metall union in Sweden.

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Credit: NicklasNilsso14/X

Tesla’s Supercharger station in Ljungby, Sweden will remain without power after a Swedish administrative court rejected the company’s appeal to force a grid connection to the site. The completed Supercharger has been stalled for nearly two years amid Tesla’s conflict with the IF Metall union in Sweden.

The court ruled that the ongoing union strike against Tesla Sweden is valid grounds for the Supercharger’s connection delay, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report. 

The Ljungby Supercharger was one of the first charging stations that were denied grid access after IF Metall launched its strike against Tesla Sweden in late 2023. Electricians at local grid operator Ljungby Energinät were pulled into a sympathy strike by the Seko union, preventing the site’s connection.

Tesla reported both Ljungby Energinät and Gävle Energi Elnät AB to the Swedish Energy Market Inspectorate, arguing that grid operators failed to meet their legal obligation to provide connection to the location within a reasonable time frame.

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The regulator ruled that the strike represented a valid exception under Swedish law, however, citing constitutional protections for industrial actions.

Tesla responded by appealing to the Administrative Court in Linköping, claiming it had the right to connection within a reasonable period, generally no more than two years. Tesla Sweden also argued that the country’s Electricity Act conflicts with EU law. The court rejected those arguments.

“The Administrative Court today finds that granting the company’s request in practice applies to the same thing as the blockade and that it would mean that the blockade would be ineffective. 

“Such a decision would contradict the principle that labor market conflicts should be resolved to the greatest extent possible by the labor market parties, not by the state. The industrial action is also constitutionally protected,” Chief Councilor Ronny Idstrand stated.

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The court also concluded that the Electricity Act does not conflict with EU regulations and that special reasons justified the extended delay.

While the ruling was unanimous, Tesla Sweden may appeal the decision to a higher administrative court.

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Tesla China exports 50,644 vehicles in January, up sharply YoY

The figure also places Tesla China second among new energy vehicle exporters for the month, behind BYD.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China exported 50,644 vehicles in January, as per data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

This marks a notable increase both year-on-year and month-on-month for the American EV maker’s Giga Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y. The figure also places Tesla China second among new energy vehicle exporters for the month, behind BYD.

The CPCA’s national passenger car market analysis report indicated that total New Energy Vehicle exports reached 286,000 units in January, up 103.6% from a year earlier. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 65% of those exports.

Within that total, Tesla China shipped 50,644 vehicles overseas. By comparison, exports of Giga Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y units totaled 29,535 units in January last year and just 3,328 units in December. 

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This suggests that Tesla China’s January 2026 exports were roughly 1.7 times higher than the same month a year ago and more than 15 times higher than December’s level, as noted in a TechWeb report.

BYD still led the January 2026 export rankings with 96,859 new energy passenger vehicles shipped overseas, though it should be noted that the automaker operates at least nine major production facilities in China, far outnumering Tesla. Overall, BYD’s factories in China have a domestic production capacity for up to 5.82 million units annually as of 2024.

Tesla China followed in second place, ahead of Geely, Chery, Leapmotor, SAIC Motor, and SAIC-GM-Wuling, each of which exported significant volumes during the month. Overall, new energy vehicles accounted for nearly half of China’s total passenger vehicle exports in January, hinting at strong overseas demand for electric cars produced in the country.

China remains one of Tesla China’s most important markets. Despite mostly competing with just two vehicles, both of which are premium priced, Tesla China is still proving quite competitive in the domestic electric vehicle market.

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Tesla adds a new feature to Navigation in preparation for a new vehicle

After CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this week that the Semi’s mass production processes were scheduled for later this year, the company has been making various preparations as it nears manufacturing.

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Credit: Uber

Tesla has added a new feature to its Navigation and Supercharger Map in preparation for a new vehicle to hit the road: the Semi.

After CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this week that the Semi’s mass production processes were scheduled for later this year, the company has been making various preparations as it nears manufacturing.

Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year

One of those changes has been the newly-released information regarding trim levels, as well as reports that Tesla has started to reach out to customers regarding pricing information for those trims.

Now, Tesla has made an additional bit of information available to the public in the form of locations of Megachargers, the infrastructure that will be responsible for charging the Semi and other all-electric Class 8 vehicles that hit the road.

Tesla made the announcement on the social media platform X:

Although it is a minor development, it is a major indication that Tesla is preparing for the Semi to head toward mass production, something the company has been hinting at for several years.

Nevertheless, this, along with the other information that was released this week, points toward a significant stride in Tesla’s progress in the Semi project.

Now that the company has also worked toward completion of the dedicated manufacturing plant in Sparks, Nevada, there are more signs than ever that the vehicle is finally ready to be built and delivered to customers outside of the pilot program that has been in operation for several years.

For now, the Megachargers are going to be situated on the West Coast, with a heavy emphasis on routes like I-5 and I-10. This strategy prioritizes major highways and logistics hubs where freight traffic is heaviest, ensuring coverage for both cross-country and regional hauls.

California and Texas are slated to have the most initially, with 17 and 19 sites, respectively. As the program continues to grow, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Washington, New York, and Nevada will have Megacharger locations as well.

For now, the Megachargers are available in Lathrop, California, and Sparks, Nevada, both of which have ties to Tesla. The former is the location of the Megafactory, and Sparks is where both the Tesla Gigafactory and Semifactory are located.

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