April 18, 2014—Tesla has been named one of the most influential automakers, according to findings of a study of influencers in the auto industry.

Tesla is ranked as the sixth most influential automaker, following General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and Volkswagen, according to Appinions’ Auto Influence Study.

The study “reviews full-text from online, offline and social sources and calculates individual influence scores for each person or company who shared an opinion which generated a meaningful reaction.”

Tesla was trailed on the list by big-name automakers, including Honda, BMW and Daimler.

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, was ranked as the second most influential individual behind General Motors CEO Mary Barra. The report said Musk and Barra have five times the influence of a typical automotive executive.

Musk was also named the most influential executive when it comes to technology or fuel economy.

"Elon Musk pushes two central issues, affordable electric vehicles and method of purchase for consumers," the report said.