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Prius Fans Love Tyler Perry, Tesla Devotees More Likely To Smoke Weed, Study Shows

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(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Apparently, not all electrified-auto aficionados are created equal.

Those professing an interest in the Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid car are more likely to read the Atlantic or the New York Times, be concerned with eco-friendly subject matters and have an affinity for technology, specifically Apple , Facebook , Twitter and bioengineering. On the other hand, those drawn to the costlier and more technologically advanced Tesla Model S electric vehicle tend to be less interested in environmentalism but are more passionate about business, finance and family matters, and have an affinity for some of the finer things in life, including Ferraris, motorcycles, Maker's Mark bourbon, erotic dance/strip clubs, Lululemon and cannabis.

This is all according to the data-mining Braniacs at Gravity, who recently set out to quantify what defines and sets apart those who express interest in these two iconic “green” cars. While not culled from a survey of actual owners, the results were based on a total of 900,000 users across the Gravity Personalization Network that met the number crunchers’ selection criteria and professed interest in a Toyota Prius, along with 183,000 Tesla Model S aficionados.

The resulting data is based on specific “interest graphs” the site creates to tailor user content. According to Gravity co-founder and blogger Steve Pearman, “Every click on content or advertising within the network is analyzed semantically and augments the nodes and edge weights for the engaged user.” In other words, users were profiled according to their Web surfing habits. (Sound creepy? Apparently it’s voluntary. As the company’s website explains, “Gravity calculates interest graphs for each user, so that they can enjoy dynamic experiences tailored to their interests on sites using Gravity personalization.”)

Specifically, Gravity’s data mining determined that, compared with the “global set” of users (i.e. the general population) Prius enthusiasts are:

  • 1.2 times more likely to enjoy physical exercise.
  • 2.5 times more likely to like yoga.
  • 1.3 times more likely to be partial to McDonald’s.
  • 13.6 times more likely to love Apple.
  • Slightly less likely to be interested NASCAR and football, but 6.3 times more likely to be concerned about sustainability.
  • 9.1 times more likely to be a fan of Tyler Perry (Madea drives a Prius?).

Likewise compared with the global set of users, Tesla devotees are:

  • 2.5 times more likely to be wired on coffee.
  • 90% more likely to be interested in social issues.
  • 5.2 times more likely to be interested in cannabis.
  • 4.1 times more likely to like magazines.
  • 41.8 times more likely to be interested in Elon Musk’s SpaceX venture.
  • 3.8 times more likely to like Evernote.
  • 10.7 times more likely to enjoy Marissa Mayer.
  • 96 times more likely to be concerned about traffic congestion (a byproduct of EV range anxiety no doubt).

In a head-to-head comparison, Gravity’s data showed that:

  • Prius boosters are 28.1 times more likely to be fascinated with wearable computers (i.e. Google Glass) than Tesla fans.
  • Prius buffs are 1.62 times more likely to be concerned about sustainable transportation than Tesla devotees.
  • Tesla and Prius fans are both more than twice as likely to be into music than the general population.
  • Prius admirers are 3.3 times more likely to be interested in cannabis than the general population, but Tesla fans are 44% more likely than Prius folks to actually inhale (let's hope not while driving).

We're not sure what this all means, but it's surely the kind of demographic data that can send a marketing maven's heart a-flutter.

Here’s a link to the full Gravity.com blog entry and some dense infographics that quantify the interests of each car’s fans.

Own a Prius or Model S? Let us know via the Comments box below whether or not the folks at Gravity are on the money. 

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