- For the first time, an electric car has topped the European sales charts thanks to the Tesla Model Y
- The electric SUV beat the ICE-powered Dacia Sandero as the top seller for the first six months of 2023
- The news proves that new car buyers are confident in going electric, despite the misinformation being spread
EV beats ICE, as the best selling European car is the Tesla Model Y
Tesla’s Model Y SUV was the best selling car in Europe for the first six months of 2023, according to data from Automotive News Europe. The company shifted 125,144 units, and 29,764 in June alone, also making it the best selling vehicle for last month (June 2023) too.
The figures are made up from the combined sales numbers from the UK, EU, and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.
It stands on the podium with the internal combustion engined (ICE) Dacia Sandero and Volkswagen T-Roc, which had six-month sales figures of 118,883 and 107,249 respectively. The record figure was no doubt helped by Tesla reducing its model princess since the start of the year, with reductions of around £7,000 on the Model Y.
The Model Y beat its saloon-shaped sibling, the Model 3, which registered 38,843 sales since the start of the year. That put it in 50th place, just one place behind the BMW 3 Series, its similarly sized and priced ICE equivalent.
This announcement proves that despite the EV myths commonly touted online and in some publications, consumer confidence in electric vehicles is steadily increasing. This is key news in preparation for the UK’s ban on new ICE cars and vans by 2030, and the European Union’s similar 2035 date.
How will these figures skew in the future?
It’s important to take note that the Model Y, with its starting price of £44,990, was closely trailed by one of the cheapest cars for sale. The £13,795 Dacia Sandero also shifted an impressive 118,883 units. This proves that consumers are still demanding cheap forms of transportation.
With an increasing number of cheap electric cars coming to market, we could see EVs take the likes of the Sandero off the podium, as EV prices continue to fall with improved technology and economies of scale. The upcoming all-electric Renault 5 is a contender in this category.
