Walking toward his sleek black Tesla Model 3 in the bustling school parking lot, senior Gautam Pilapakam enters his car — a popular choice on campus — equipped with built-in self-driving features, a unique interface, and constant digital upgrades. As Pilapakam drives off, he blends into a sea of electric vehicles, joining one of the many Teslas that stand as the most prominent electric vehicles in the Bay Area. Pilapakam said he likes driving a Tesla not only for its innovative features but also for the practical and social benefits it offers.

“One of the main reasons we got Teslas is because it’s an electric car that would be less expensive to refuel, especially with a charging station at home,” Pilapakam said. “And because Tesla was the most famous electric vehicle brand and there was a social element of it being cool to many.”

In 2022, Tesla accounted for 185,000 new battery EV registrations in California out of over 260,000. But what made Tesla more popular than other vehicles?

Automotive technology teacher Doyle Knight said Tesla’s rise in popularity can be attributed to its innovative electric power technology.

“Tesla was one of the first companies that were strictly EV,” Knight said. “And their focus was mainly on the technology area that people just loved. Their big thing is their batteries, their unique battery system compared to everybody else, which I think got everybody’s attention.”

Senior Alex Derrick, who drives a gas car, said EVs are becoming increasingly popular due to their long-term benefits, including ongoing updates to their systems and improvements in internal features.

“EVs are significantly quieter than gas cars and generally offer a smooth driving experience,” Derrick said. “However, they do require occasional long stops to recharge, especially on longer trips, which can take about an hour compared to just a few minutes for refueling gas cars. Despite this, for everyday driving where long trips are less frequent, the convenience of quick refueling with gas cars doesn’t offer a significant advantage over EVs, which benefit from lower emissions and reduced air pollution.”

However, Knight said there are still certain technological differences between Teslas and other EVs allowing Tesla to outcompete other companies.

“Tesla’s real game-changer was their approach to battery technology where they didn’t just improve on existing designs. They completely rethought what a battery could do in an EV,” Knight said. “What Tesla has done is push the entire auto industry forward as you see every major car manufacturer now rushing to catch up and put out their own EV models because Tesla isn’t just selling cars, they’re selling a vision of the future. That’s what people buy into when they get a Tesla.”

Senior Raghav Ranga, who drives a hybrid, said California’s pursuit of green energy has helped spur the EV industry, not just Teslas.

“I think the previous subsidies and promotion of electric vehicles really influenced people,” Ranga said. “Tesla was just one of the lucky industries that focused on electric and hybrid vehicles.”

Ranga said he expects EVs to lead in the Bay Area and Tesla might be surpassed by other industry leaders meeting this demand.

“The infrastructure of electric vehicles is booming, and it’s very popular starting with Teslas, and now you see Rivians and Lucids driving around,” Ranga said. “EVs are a fast-growing industry, and Tesla’s competitors will also continue to rise and we’ll see far more diversity on the road.”

Knight agrees and said there is a shift in Tesla’s popularity, with Tesla purchases beginning to stabilize, indicating a potential cooling off in the initial rush for Tesla’s EVs.

“A lot of people are still on the fence about electric cars because they like the idea, but they’re worried about things like range and charging infrastructure,” Knight said. “The biggest hurdle isn’t getting people excited about EVs, it’s convincing them that these cars can meet all their needs just like gas cars because to this day, gas cars are still the most dominant vehicles despite the popularity of EVs.”

Despite its stronghold as a leading electric vehicle maker, Tesla’s dominance is showing signs of faltering, both in Palo Alto and globally. Tesla’s global vehicle deliveries fell by almost 9% year over year in the first quarter, marking the first such decline in nearly four years, signaling a potential leveling off in the previously meteoric rise of Tesla’s popularity.

Even though Tesla’s popularity may be leveling off, Knight said the company’s contribution to advancing the field of EVs ultimately means better technology and a continued market for electric cars.

“Tesla has set the stage for a new era in automotive history,” Knight said. “They’ve not only changed how we think about cars, but also how we view our impact on the planet. As we look to the future, it’s clear that the road less traveled is now electric.”