The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car overall in Europe in June and in the first half of the year.
The electric crossover outsold popular mass-market combustion engine cars such as the Dacia Sandero and Volkswagen T-Roc to become the region's top-selling car from January through June. The result marks the first time a Tesla model or a battery-electric car has been the top-seller in Europe over a period of six months.
European sales of the Model Y in the first half of the year tripled to 125,144 from 40,147 in the same period the year before, according to preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce cited by Automotive News. The much more affordable Dacia Sandero hatchback and Volkswagen T-Roc SUV saw 118,883 and 107,249 sales, respectively, during the same period.
In June alone, Tesla sold 29,765 Model Ys in Europe, up 104 percent year-over-year. It was the EV's second-best month after March, when 46,282 units were sold.
Gallery: 2021 Tesla Model Y
In comparison, Tesla's second best-seller, the Model 3 sedan, saw its sales rise 115 percent in June to 12,693 units, outpacing the sales growth of the Model Y for the first time this year. However, with a total of 38,843 sales in the first half of the year, the Model 3 ranked 50th on Europe's list of top-sellers.
Combined sales of the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 – 163,987 – almost doubled in the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. They grew by 85,000, making up one-third of the 263,860 units increase of battery-electric car sales, which totaled 853,720 January through June.
Tesla has aggressively cut prices in Europe and other global markets including the United States and China since January, increasing deliveries significantly.
The company delivered a record 466,140 vehicles in the second quarter of 2023 – Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X combined – beating the previous record of 422,875 vehicles achieved in Q1 2023. In the first half of the year, Tesla's global deliveries reached 889,015 vehicles.
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Source: Dataforce via Automotive News Europe