America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 › Tesla
#14 of 100 – Mobility & Auto

Tesla

Electric vehicles and energy products sold online and through company-owned stores, direct to consumers rather than through dealers.

By Abhimanyu Ghosh, Chairman, WCRC, with the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit · November 2026

Consumer Trust 68/100
Tesla ranked #14 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 by WCRC
Trust Score80.58out of 100
US D2C rank#14 of 100
HeadquartersAustin, TX
Founded2003
Latest revenue$94.8B total revenue, FY2025 (down 3%)
Trust pillar68/100

The Tesla story

Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning (Elon Musk, JB Straubel and Ian Wright are also recognised as co-founders) and is owned today by Tesla Inc. (public, Nasdaq: TSLA). It is one of 8 Mobility & Auto brands in this year's ranking, where it places #1.

Why people trust Tesla

Its cars get over-the-air software updates and have earned top government crash-test ratings.

The watch-out

Its brand has been polarised by its CEO, and vehicle deliveries and automotive revenue fell in 2025.

Why Tesla ranks #14

Strongest of the four trust-led pillars

Brand Recall, scored 98 out of 100.

Room to grow

Consumer Trust & Sentiment, scored 68 out of 100.

The WCRC D2C Trust Score gives 80% of the weight to Consumer Trust, Brand Recall, Positioning and Brand Love. Tesla scores 80.58 overall.

Pillar profile

Consumer Trust & Sentiment (32%)
68
Brand Recall (18%)
98
Brand Positioning (15%)
88
Brand Love (15%)
82
Product, Innovation & Delivery (10%)
82
Digital & Financial Soundness (6%)
86
Governance & ESG (4%)
58

Versus its nearest rivals

12VenmoFinancial Services · 81.0413AirbnbMarketplaces · 80.9614TeslaMobility · 80.5815ChimeFinancial Services · 80.3616Lands' EndFashion · 80.30

Questions people ask

What rank is Tesla in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026?

Tesla ranks #14 of 100 in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026, with a WCRC D2C Trust Score of 80.58 out of 100.

Why is Tesla trusted?

Its cars get over-the-air software updates and have earned top government crash-test ratings.

What is Tesla's revenue?

$94.8B total revenue, FY2025 (down 3%), as per the company's filed accounts or published results.

Who owns Tesla?

Tesla is owned by Tesla Inc. (public, Nasdaq: TSLA). It was founded in 2003 and is based in Austin, TX.

What is Tesla's biggest challenge?

Its brand has been polarised by its CEO, and vehicle deliveries and automotive revenue fell in 2025.

Key facts

BrandTesla
Company / ownerTesla Inc. (public, Nasdaq: TSLA)
HeadquartersAustin, TX
Founded2003
Founder(s)Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning (Elon Musk, JB Straubel and Ian Wright are also recognised as co-founders)
Latest revenue$94.8B total revenue, FY2025 (down 3%), as per company filings
SectorMobility & Auto
Country of originUnited States

Sources

  • Annual report (Form 10-K) and financial results filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Company website, official announcements and press releases
  • Published interviews and statements by the founders and leadership
  • WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer ratings and reviews, complaint records, search demand and social data
Want the full picture? For the detailed methodology, a brand's full assessment report, or the other factors behind a score, contact the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at consulting@wcrcint.com.
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Disclaimer
  1. Who was considered. Only brands whose owners publish financial results, or that have publicly stated their own revenue, were considered. Brands that do not publish revenue have not been assessed or ranked. Not being on this list says nothing about a brand's quality.
  2. Eligibility. Ranked brands were founded in the United States, are US-controlled today, were born selling direct to consumers and still sell mainly direct. The rules are applied as of November 2026.
  3. Independent opinion. This ranking is WCRC's independent research and opinion, based on publicly available information as of November 2026. It is not an endorsement of any brand. No brand paid to be included, and inclusion cannot be bought.
  4. Not advice. Nothing on this site is investment, financial, insurance, medical, legal or purchasing advice. Do not rely on it to make decisions of that kind.
  5. Scores. WCRC D2C Trust Scores are provisional assessments by the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at the time of research. They are opinions, not measurements, and may be revised.
  6. Revenue and facts. Revenue is shown as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission or published in company results, or, where marked, as stated by the company itself. Some figures are for a parent segment or a run rate, as noted. WCRC has not audited any figure. Facts are checked twice against public sources, but errors are possible.
  7. Trademarks. Brand names, logos and trademarks belong to their owners. Their use here is for identification only and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by WCRC.
  8. Use of the badge. Ranked brands may use the WCRC badge only as provided, linked to their page, and unaltered. Any other use of the WCRC name, badge or data needs WCRC's written permission.
  9. Rights and AI. © 2026 WCRC. All rights reserved. The WCRC D2C Trust Score and its methodology are proprietary. Copying, text and data mining, and use of this content to train artificial intelligence models are not permitted without written permission; WCRC expressly reserves these rights, including under Article 4 of EU Directive 2019/790.
  10. Corrections. To report an error or ask for a review, write to consulting@wcrcint.com. Corrections are made promptly.