While actors are carefully chosen to play their role in films, the same is also true for vehicles, which are sometimes considered just as scrupulously as the stars themselves. And some might say electric vehicles are on the way to becoming the biggest movie heroes of them all.
British car leasing company Leasing Options analysed the appearances of electric vehicles in film since 2010, using the Internet Movie Cars Database (IMCDB). The analysis reveals popular EV models used in film, as well as how using electric cars in film has increased over time.
The company found that appearances of electric vehicles in film are up 140.6% over the last five years, the most recent of which were the electrification of the latest Batmobile in Robert Pattinson’s Batman, and Barbie’s Corvette which will air in the 2023 movie release.
In terms of models, the Tesla Model S is used more than any other electric vehicle in films. While it has appeared in some films such as The Kingsman (2015), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Entourage (2006), the Model S doesn’t hold a lot of significant roles in film, with appearances of the Model S mostly background cameos.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the second most popular electric vehicle to be used on the big screen is none other than the Nissan Leaf. It was also the first EV to land a role on the big screen and appeared in cameos in movies such as Parental Guidance (2012) and The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), but took a leading role in 2019 when it starred as Uber Driver Stu Prasad’s car in Stuber (2019).
Leasing Options analysed the appearances of electric cars in film since 2010.
According to Leasing Options’ analysis, it’s clear that filmmakers love choosing Teslas for less significant roles in films. Despite not paying for product placements, Tesla models still manage to feature in nearly 150 films since 2014.
