With a strong path towards sustainability, EV’s prevailed even during our most dreadful year. 2020 can be regarded as both the year of solitude and the year of the EV. With most cooped up focused on our world’s demise, electric vehicles and sustainable technology came to the forefront of media. Tesla’s stock rose a mere 700% but side by side with them were a few others being recognized as future competitors and leaders in the EV space.
Meaningless digital awards to wrap a year up might be cliché and all but with the EV community up in arms against some of the titled winners we thought it best for an EV site to talk EV awards. I’m sorry Forbes, the Lucid Air is a great car and all but you can’t give a ‘best product’ award to a not yet existing product.
Best New Car: Tesla Model Y
With the Model 3 and its many headaches behind them, Tesla was able to review their mistakes and master the art of mass production for the more important vehicle, the Tesla Model Y. At over 40% of the U.S. market share, crossovers are the largest (and still growing) vehicle segment. It would only make sense in an EV world that electric crossovers sit on top. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, even went as far to speculate that the Model Y would do more sales than all other Tesla’s combined.
At 326 miles of range, 135 mph top speed, a 0-60 of 4.8 seconds, and a relatively affordable price of $49,990, the Model Y had no close competition in 2020.
Best Automaker: Tesla
The list of EV automakers runs thin. With over an 80% market share in the segment of electric vehicles, it wouldn’t be reasonable to give this award to any other automaker. Sure, you can argue flaws left and right, but no other automaker in 2020 has done more for advancing our vehicle landscape than Tesla has. Through innovation and hype, just about everyone has learned about new-age EV’s through some connection with Tesla.
Best CEO: Elon Musk
If financials is in anyway meaningful, Elon Musk might just be the overall best CEO of 2020. Taking Tesla, investors, and himself up hundreds of billions in value has made him both many fans and enemies. To the latter, Mr. Musk gifted short shorts for the holiday season, for the former, celebratory Tequila.
Biggest Clown: Trevor Milton
Sure, Elon Musk is great and all but becoming the second wealthiest man through legitimate means doesn’t come close to Trevor Milton’s success in conning his way into a billion dollars. The founder of Nikola Motor did all but remain truthful on his path towards success. Finally ousted from his own company, Mr. Milton has ghosted the world. We can only imagine he went on to pursue his passion of making people laugh at an honorary clown college.
Most Anticipated Car: Ford Mustang Mach-E
Love it or hate it, at a more affordable price point than the Model Y (with lower specs to compromise), the Mustang Mach-E is here to stay. While technically this EV began small deliveries in the second half of December, we are far from having it available nationwide. Ford looks to focus on a transition to EV’s with the Mach-E and upcoming electric F-150 at its forefront. Keeping an eye on this vehicles entry into the mass market will allow us to better judge how legacy automakers will fit into an EV world.
Most Anticipated Manufacturer: Lucid
Come 2021 Lucid is bringing to the table something others have been unable to achieve, a true Tesla competitor. The upcoming Lucid Air matches nearly all of Tesla’s Model S specs at a similar price tag and more luxurious experience. Their first vehicles begin deliveries in the first half of the year with much still left to accomplish. If the company is able to keep their promises and reach their goals, they’ll be here to stay alongside Tesla in a so-called impenetrable market.
Best Overall Car: Tesla Model Y
Tesla’s latest vehicle is by far their best yet. It can cross the country, fit a family, win a race, and it hopefully wont break the bank. The Tesla Model Y makes a few compromises in terms of price and performance when compared to the more affordable Model 3 but with its larger footprint it’s the better value for the average family. Once again, in 2020 we saw no competing EV come close to the crown obtained by the Model Y.
There is one thing Forbes did get right. The outlets Transportation Awards were heavily swayed in favor of EV companies. As we’ve been saying for years now, electric vehicles are the future and those who don’t hop aboard will be left behind. This past year we saw a massive leap in those being educated on EV’s with not much focus on legacy automakers and their lack of progress.
As of now, there’s no proper EV list out there without displaying Tesla as the leader. For the sake of my sanity, I hope 2021 brings new players to the game. Lucid, Ford, Rivian, and so many others are entering the mass market this very year in hopes to take on the greatest. Tesla however still has much up their sleeve with the Cybertruck, Plaid Model S, 7-Seater Model Y, and SR Model Y coming very soon. If you’re expecting 2021 to be the year Tesla loses their lead, I’d be willing to bet against you.
Whether or not Tesla eventually loses their lead to one of these competitors however is left up for debate.
