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Author: Marcus Lu

Ranked: The World’s Most Valuable Bank Brands (2019-2023)

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

most valuable bank brands

The World’s Most Valuable Bank Brands (2019-2023)

Since 2019, Chinese banks have held the top four spots on Brand Finance’s Banking 500—an annual ranking of the most valuable bank brands.

Brand value in this context is a measure of the “value of the trade mark and associated marketing IP within the branded business”. In other words, it measures the value of intangible marketing assets, and not the overall worth of the business itself.

In this infographic, we’ve visualized the Banking 500’s top 10 brands since 2019 to show you how the ranking has evolved (or stayed the same).

Top Bank Brands of 2023

The 10 most valuable bank brands of 2023 are evenly split between China and the United States. In terms of combined brand value, China leads with $262 billion to America’s $165 billion.

RankBankBrand Value (USD billions)
1🇨🇳 ICBC$69.5
2🇨🇳 China Construction Bank$62.7
3🇨🇳 Agricultural Bank of China$57.7
4🇨🇳 Bank of China$47.3
5🇺🇸 Bank of America$38.6
6🇺🇸 Wells Fargo$33.0
7🇺🇸 JP Morgan$31.8
8🇺🇸 Chase$31.3
9🇺🇸 Citi$30.6
10🇨🇳 China Merchants Bank$24.5

Chinese banks have a massive market to serve, which helps to lift the perceived value of their brands. For example, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) serves over 500 million individuals as well as several million business clients.

It’s worth noting that ICBC is the world’s largest bank in terms of assets under management ($5.5 trillion as of Dec 2021), and in terms of (Read more...)

Retail Investors’ Most Popular Stocks of 2023 So Far

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Most Popular Stocks of 2023 With Retail Investors

Retail Investors’ Most Popular Stocks of 2023 (YTD)

According to VandaTrack, retail investors are still a force to be reckoned with, adding an average of $1.5 billion each day into U.S. markets.

This is a record-breaking level of inflows, which raises the question: what are investors buying? To find out, we’ve visualized the 10 most popular picks of 2023, as of February 15.

The Top 10 List

Most of the names in this list won’t come as a surprise. They represent eight of the world’s largest and most well-known tech companies, as well as two highly popular U.S. equity ETFs.

RankNameTickerRetail net flows
(USD millions)
1TeslaTSLA$9,751
2SPDR S&P 500 ETFSPY$3,572
3AmazonAMZN$1,786
4AppleAAPL$1,674
5NVIDIANVDA$1,367
6Invesco QQQ ETFQQQ$1,353
7AlphabetGOOG/L$1,218
8AMDAMD$941
9MetaMETA$780
10MicrosoftMSFT$768

Looking closer at the numbers, we can see that Tesla’s net retail flows of $9.75 billion are greater than all of the other individual stocks combined ($8.5 billion). This is a sign that investors still have plenty of faith in Tesla, even as its market share is beginning to shrink.

We recently covered Tesla’s profit margins (net profits per vehicle) in a separate infographic.

Perhaps the least common name on a top 10 ranking such as this is AMD. The chipmaker has made for a compelling underdog story in recent years, gaining significant market share (Read more...)

Chart: Automakers’ Adoption of Fuel-Saving Technologies

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Adoption of fuel-saving technologies

Automakers’ Adoption of Fuel-Saving Technologies

Over the past few decades, automakers have invested plenty of time and money into various fuel-saving technologies. This includes innovations such as direct injection, cylinder deactivation, and auto start-stop features.

Keeping track of which companies have adopted these technologies can be difficult. Thankfully, the EPA’s 2022 Automotive Trends Report includes data that shows which automakers have adopted what technologies.

Understanding the Data

The percentages in this infographic show how 14 major automakers have adopted various fuel-saving technologies into their lineups. The report did not specify if this data is for North American models only.

BrandTurboDirect InjectionCylinder Deact.CVT7+ GearsStart-StopHybridPHEV/EV/FC
Subaru22%99%0%95%0%80%0%0%
Nissan5%72%0%87%12%0%0%1%
Honda53%79%25%61%38%24%7%0%
Mazda27%100%45%0%0%0%0%0%
Toyota3%0%0%36%38%19%22%2%
Kia26%47%0%42%45%50%2%0%
Hyundai18%44%0%23%46%21%4%2%
BMW99%99%0%0%98%64%25%7%
Volkswagen77%94%3%0%90%71%20%7%
Mercedes-Benz94%100%8%0%100%77%22%0%
Tesla0%0%0%0%0%0%0%100%
Ford80%56%21%2%92%83%5%3%
GM37%91%54%9%74%75%0%1%
Stellantis13%10%22%1%96%45%15%3%

There are several geographical trends hidden within this dataset. To make them more (Read more...)

Charted: Tesla’s Unrivaled Profit Margins

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Tesla's profit margins per car

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

Chart: Tesla’s Unrivaled Profit Margins

In January this year, Tesla made the surprising announcement that it would be cutting prices on its vehicles by as much as 20%.

While price cuts are not new in the automotive world, they are for Tesla. The company, which historically has been unable to keep up with demand, has seen its order backlog shrink from 476,000 units in July 2022, to 74,000 in December 2022.

This has been attributed to Tesla’s robust production growth, which saw 2022 production increase 41% over 2021 (from 930,422 to 1,313,851 units).

With the days of “endless” demand seemingly over, Tesla is going on the offensive by reducing its prices—a move that puts pressure on competitors, but has also angered existing owners.

Cranking up the Heat

Tesla’s price cuts are an attempt to protect its market share, but they’re not exactly the desperation move some media outlets have claimed them to be.

Recent data compiled by Reuters shows that Tesla’s margins are significantly higher than those of its rivals, both in terms of gross and (Read more...)

Visualizing the Odds of Dying from Various Accidents

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

odds of dying

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

Infographic: The Odds of Dying from Various Accidents

Fatal accidents account for a significant number of deaths in the U.S. every year. For example, nearly 43,000 Americans died in traffic accidents in 2021.

Without the right context, however, it can be difficult to properly interpret these figures.

To help you understand your chances, we’ve compiled data from the National Safety Council, and visualized the lifetime odds of dying from various accidents.

Data and Methodology

The lifetime odds presented in this graphic were estimated by dividing the one-year odds of dying by the life expectancy of a person born in 2020 (77 years).

Additionally, these numbers are based on data from the U.S., and likely differ in other countries.

Type of AccidentLifetime odds of dying (1 in #)
Motor vehicle accident101
Complications of medical and surgical care798
Alcohol poisoning1,606
Accidental building fire1,825
Choking on food2,745
Drowning in swimming pool5,782
Sunstroke6,368
Accidental firearm discharge7,998
Drowning10,386
Airplane accident11,756
Bee or wasp sting57,825
Dog attack69,016
Lightning (Read more...)

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars From 1975 to Today

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Most Fuel Efficient Cars

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars From 1975 to Today

When shopping for a new car, what is the most important factor you look for? According to Statista, it’s not design, quality, or even safety—it’s fuel efficiency.

Because of this, automakers are always looking for clever ways to improve gas mileage in their cars. Beating the competition by even the slimmest of margins can give valuable bragging rights within a segment.

In this infographic, we’ve used data from the EPA’s 2022 Automotive Trends Report to list off the most fuel efficient cars from 1975 to today.

Editor’s note: This is from a U.S. government agency, so the data shown skews towards cars sold in North America.

Data Overview

All of the information in the above infographic is listed in the table below. Data was only available in 5-year increments up until 2005, after which it switches to annual.

Model YearMakeModelReal World Fuel Economy (mpg)Engine Type
1975HondaCivic28.3Gas
1980VWRabbit40.3Diesel
1985ChevroletSprint49.6Gas
1990 (Read more...)

Infographic: The Longest Lasting Cars, in Miles

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

longest lasting cars

Infographic: The Longest Lasting Cars, in Miles

When properly maintained, well-built cars can last an impressive amount of miles.

Consider this 2006 Honda Civic, which hit one million miles on its original engine and transmission. Amusingly, the car’s odometer maxes out at 999,999 miles.

While that case may be an extreme outlier, most modern cars are expected to last 200,000 miles before experiencing some significant failure. That’s roughly double the lifespan of cars from the 1960s and 1970s, which typically lasted about 100,000 miles.

In this infographic, we used data from iSeeCars to determine which cars are the most likely to reach⁠— or even surpass⁠—the 200,000 mile benchmark.

Study Methodology & Data

To come up with their rankings, iSeeCars analyzed over 2 million used cars between January and October 2022. The rankings are based on the mileage that the top 1% of cars within each model obtained. Models with less than 10 years of production, such as the Tesla Model 3, were excluded.

The following tables show an expanded list of the longest lasting cars, by model category. Our infographic only includes the top five from each.

Sedans & Hatchbacks

The only non-Japanese model in the top 10 is the Chevrolet Impala, which is one of the most commonly found rental cars in the U.S.

RankVehiclePotential Lifespan (miles)
1🇯🇵 Toyota Avalon245,710
2🇺🇸 Chevrolet Impala230,343
3🇯🇵 Honda Accord226,168
4🇯🇵 Toyota Camry223,249
5🇯🇵 Lexus GS 350207,794
6🇯🇵 Honda Fit207,231
7🇯🇵 Honda Civic (Read more...)

Visualizing EV Production in the U.S. by Brand

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Chart showing EV production in U.S. by brand

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

Visualizing EV Production in the U.S. by Brand

How long will Tesla hold onto its dominant electric vehicle (EV) market share?

This is one of the biggest questions facing the U.S. automotive industry. On one hand, Tesla has a very strong brand and loyal customer base (similar to Apple). The company also has a headstart in EV production and spends more on R&D per car than its competitors.

On the other hand, legacy automakers such as Volkswagen are eager to overtake Tesla. As the incumbents, they have decades more experience in building cars and are investing billions of dollars to catch up.

To keep you up to date on this evolving story, we’ve visualized data from the EPA’s 2022 Automotive Trends Report.

Data for the 2021 Model Year

Although it comes from a 2022 report, the comprehensive production data used in this infographic is for the 2021 model year.

The table below breaks out total production by EV and PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

ManufacturerEV ProductionPHEV ProductionCombined Production
GM13,000013,000
(Read more...)

A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Subscribe to the Elements free mailing list for more like this

geothermal energy infographic

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy

This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.

Geothermal is a lesser-known type of renewable energy that uses heat from the Earth’s molten core to produce electricity.

While this unique feature gives it key benefits over solar and wind, it also suffers from high costs and geographic restrictions. Because of this, few countries have managed to produce geothermal energy at scale.

In this infographic, we’ve used a combination of diagrams and charts to give you a high level overview of this sustainable energy source.

How Geothermal Works

Geothermal energy is produced by accessing reservoirs of hot water that are found several miles below the earth’s surface. In certain parts of the planet, this water naturally breaks through the surface, creating what’s known as a hot spring (or in some cases, a geyser).

When accessed via a well, this pressurized (Read more...)

A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy

by Marcus Lu
This post is by Marcus Lu from Visual Capitalist

Subscribe to the Elements free mailing list for more like this

geothermal energy infographic

Can I share this graphic?
Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist.
When do I need a license?
Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options.
Interested in this piece?
Click here to license this visualization.

A Visual Crash Course on Geothermal Energy

This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.

Geothermal is a lesser-known type of renewable energy that uses heat from the Earth’s molten core to produce electricity.

While this unique feature gives it key benefits over solar and wind, it also suffers from high costs and geographic restrictions. Because of this, few countries have managed to produce geothermal energy at scale.

In this infographic, we’ve used a combination of diagrams and charts to give you a high level overview of this sustainable energy source.

How Geothermal Works

Geothermal energy is produced by accessing reservoirs of hot water that are found several miles below the earth’s surface. In certain parts of the planet, this water naturally breaks through the surface, creating what’s known as a hot spring (or in some cases, a geyser).

When accessed via a well, this pressurized (Read more...)