This may be true in the USA, but not in the rest of the world. I live in Europe and, even if I often drive by a Tesla dealer on my way to work, don't know that

This may be true in the USA, but not in the rest of the world. I live in Europe and, even if I often drive by a Tesla dealer on my way to work, don't know that many people driving one. Basically all the discourse I hear about Tesla comes from the Internet (and most of it from Twitter, even if I don't actually use that site). The next time I have to buy a car, my decision to buy or not a Tesla will be heavily influenced by the information I already have, which comes from there (obviously, I'll also take other things into account and even pay a visit to the dealer - but still, I wouldn't consider it if nobody told me anything about the brand).