According to a recent consumer study by Glow, Toyota is perceived as the most trusted and most socially responsible automotive brand, while, predictably, Tesla holds the lead as the most environmentally conscious brand in Australian consumers’ minds.

Glow, an Australian consumer research platform, conducted a nationally representative survey in December 2020 to capture current consumer perception of all major automotive brands. The study gathered consumer sentiment through a eleven-point scale measuring perceptions of trust, social responsibility, and environmental consciousness.

“Consumers expect more from brands than ever. Increasingly, they expect them to act in ways that are socially responsible.” states Eddie Kowalski, Head of Insights at Glow. “We developed a methodology for measuring these perceptions among consumers in order to help brands deliver superior value for consumers.” 

Glow’s survey revealed that Toyota holds a strong, positive lead in Australian consumers’ minds, as the brand is most trusted to do what is right, and perceived as most socially responsible. 78 percent of respondents trust Toyota to do what is right, while 66 percent perceive the brand to be socially responsible.

This comes as no surprise due to Toyota’s long-term strategy to exhibit values of social responsibility. Recently, as reported by 9 News, the brand kicked off the 2021 new year with a pledge to return the AUD$18 million received in JobKeeper payments back to the Australian government, following an unexpectedly strong quarter of sales in the financial quarter. With a well established history of similar socially responsible and community-based actions, it is easy to see why the vast majority of Australians trust Toyota to do the right thing.

When it comes to perception of each brand’s environmental consciousness, Tesla takes the lead in consumers’ minds, as 72 percent of respondents perceive the brand to be environmentally friendly. Toyota holds strong in its positive reputation, coming out second highest in the category, with 65 percent of respondents believing it to be an environmentally conscious brand.

Tesla’s lead as a perceived environmentally conscious brand falls in line with its eco-friendly efforts and initiatives since its launch in Australia in 2014. A manufacturer of electric vehicles, the brand’s foundation lies in the realm of eco-friendly values — a vision that Australians seem to agree is successful.

Likewise, Toyota’s hybrid vehicle options may be a strong factor that has led to consumers’ perception of Toyota as the second-most environmentally friendly automotive brand. Toyota kickstarted its line of well established hybrid vehicles with the Prius model in 2001, and has since continued to develop popular models featuring hybrid technology (as reported by Torque Toyota). 

In good news for Toyota, Tesla, and all hybrid vehicle manufacturers alike, Australians’ support for electric vehicles is relatively widespread (according to a December study by Glow). 52 percent of survey respondents stated they were in favour of the Australian government introducing initiatives to encourage electric vehicle sales, such as subsidies or tax schemes — a seemingly popular proposal that was opposed by only 16 percent of respondents.

Additionally, Glow’s study investigated prompted brand awareness of major automobile manufacturers in Australia. Interestingly, MG, Skoda, and MINI seemed to fall under the radar the most, with only 54, 60, and 61 percent (respectively) of respondents aware of the brands. 

As of early 2021, all three brands offer electric or hybrid vehicle options; it remains to be seen if this will lead to an increase in brand awareness and popularity, as Aussies’ appetites for environmentally friendly products and initiatives proves strong.