EVs are attracting younger consumers to BMW, Mini, Subaru, Volvo, Cadillac

Five automotive brands placed in the top 20 brands gaining recognition with Generation Z, according to the latest quarterly report by Automotive News sibling publication AdAge and Harris Poll.

The poll ranks brands by how much their equity has changed with Gen Z — that is, how much their perception of brands is changing from quarter to quarter. It surveys U.S. consumers ages 18-24.

BMW was ranked fourth overall, and it was the highest of any auto brand in the study. No. 1 was discount grocery chain Aldi, followed by the WNBA and ice cream brand Blue Bunny.

The automotive brands’ showing has to do with how “EVs are driving a lot of momentum,” said Harris Poll CEO Will Johnson.

Here are highlights.

No. 4 BMW and No. 19 Mini: BMW announced in October that it would invest $1.7 billion to build EVs in the U.S., “the biggest single investment we’ve done so far,” BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse told Reuters.

BMW-owned Mini hyped its EVs in November by launching a new white paint finish for its 2023 Mini Electric Cooper SE during International Polar Bear Week. It asked consumers to name the paint color and the polar bear mascot associated with the campaign.

BMW has also focused on reaching gaming communities. In October, it announced a deal with gaming platform AirConsole to integrate games in its vehicle infotainment displays.

No. 5 Volvo: The Swedish brand teased a forthcoming small electric crossover targeting Gen Z. Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan described plans to use subscription-based shorter-term ownership and online purchases to reel in consumers. “Gen Z … is our next market,” said Rowan. “We don’t talk to Gen Z right now, the brand has never really spoken to that younger demographic. We are absolutely heading in that direction.”

In September, Volvo got YouTuber Andrew Huang to create a song out of car noises as part of the marketing for its XC60 plug-in hybrid.

No. 7 Subaru: The Japanese brand in November launched its annual “Share the Love” initiative with an accompanying campaign that pledged to raise $250 million for four charities.

No. 17 Cadillac: General Motors’ luxury brand launched a campaign in October with singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz for the Celestiq EV. It included a video showing Kravitz designing his own version of the Celestiq and an art installation in Los Angeles.