After nearly a decade, established automakers may finally be bringing a monumental challenge to Tesla. Just a small portion of Tesla’s followers are loyal to the brand, according to a J.D. Power study on the trends of EV buying.

Among the luxury brands, Tesla has ranked the highest, with 27% of respondents who are considering high-end vehicles their top choice. Despite this, just 4% of the group considered Tesla, namely due to the Silicon Valley firm being hard-pressed versus other brands at a high degree.

Stewart Stropp, the senior director of automotive retail at J.D Power, says, “One could argue this indicates that, while Tesla’s appeal is formidable, it’s not absolute and could be displaced by a worthy alternative.”

Regarding previous research, the same firm discovered that having firsthand experience raises the chances of considering an EV. The study found that the participants were up to three times more likely to consider an EV, even by just riding in one.

Furthermore, 46% of the participants who already owned an EV were “very likely” to consider another. Despite this, only 6% stated that they were “very unlikely” to purchase another EV.

Some years ago, Tesla owners were so loyal to the brand that they’d rarely consider anything else. That was in the brand’s infancy, though, when the company would take extra measures to ensure satisfaction.

The primary issue that Tesla owners are facing now is poor build quality. We suspect this is caused by a ramp-up of production, although we can only imagine; time will tell if they improve.

Additionally, Tesla is facing higher competition with other well-known brands as they come forward with deals on long-range electric cars. Tesla isn’t in this by themselves anymore, but we expect them to continue pumping out healthy numbers for the extended future.