After our market research we are left with the impression that Chinese top two preferred car types are sedans and SUV. The interviewee from our third interview said the following: ‘Currently I would prefer to have a sports car because I am single, but the moment I am getting a family, I want a SUV, because they are more spacious and they provide more safety.’ This is something that was also stated by several other interviewees. If they go to work or doing business, they prefer a sedan. If they travel with family, they prefer a SUV due to the different attributes of different types.  

For most of our interviewees the Model S is outside of their financial budget, but they still gave us valuable input on their purchasing process. They are all in the power of their careers and social class and potential Tesla customers in the future. Tesla’s brand was recognized among our respondents, but specific features of the car are unknown. A large number of respondents showed lack of knowledge of the attributes of Tesla. Many were concerned with the safety of the batteries and also the battery range and lack of charging possibilities. The interviewee from our fourth interview mentioned the following: ‘If I had access to a charging station, I would be able to charge it much more and enjoy it. Now I am afraid to run out of power and I don’t know anything about the engine. When will it stop working?’ These concerns are strengthened by our survey results where 80-90% see the lack of charging stations and battery reach as the two largest problem areas.

When our respondents consider buying a car, the main source of information for more than 90% of the respondents is from friends and family and over 40% goes to online forums. During our interviews, a majority mentioned that they will go to www.autohome.com to compare cars that they have discussed before with friends and family. Tesla has also good brand equity among the respondents with 85% having familiarity with the brand.   

Safety is the main factor our respondents take into consideration when buying a car. Currently, they are not aware of the safety a Tesla has to offer. A few of the interviewees mentioned the fire problems some Tesla’s experienced in the US and therefore they see safety as a potential problem.

Tesla’s logo is considered to be futuristic and cool, while the cars are regarded as futuristic and with a beautiful design. They associate Tesla with technology and younger trendy and successful people. As well as it is expensive, environmentally friendly, luxury and fun.