Tesla Model Y is Europe's Best-Selling Car

1 year, 5 months ago - 20 July 2023, autoevolution

The Tesla Model Y steals the show in Europe. It has just become Europe's best-selling car in the first six months of 2023. It is the first time an electric car stays in the lead for six months.

Six months into 2023, and we have a winner. It is the Tesla Model Y surging to the top of the sales charts. From January to June, it remained Europe’s bestseller all throughout the six months of this year.

The Model Y's popularity is forcing the Dacia Sandero to move out of the way. 125,144 customers bought a Model Y halfway through this year. That is a 211.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to data provided by Dataforce to Automotive News.

Only in June, 29,764 new Model Ys set wheels on European roads, 104 percent more than in the month of June in 2022. But it hit record sales back in March, when there were 46,697 registrations, figures that were almost double compared to those of the Opel (Vauxhall) Corsa, coming in second, recorded in the same month, and more than tripling the sales of the Model 3, the second best electric car sold in Europe that month.

Being in the lead in Europe is not something Tesla has not grown used to. It finished Q1 in the first place as well.
Why is the Tesla Model Y interesting to European customers?
What convinced the customers in the European Union, the UK, and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) was Tesla slashing prices to become competitive on the Old Continent, as well as government incentives.

Back in April, the carmaker made a 10% price cut, which took the most affordable Model Y down to 50,990 euros in Germany, which translates into $57,157. And that's before any federal tax credit. Tesla managed to somehow balance the supply-and-demand ratio throughout the past year.

Three versions are available for the European customers. The entry level is the rear-wheel drive. It is an almost 2-ton car which accelerates from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. It can drive as far as 455 kilometers (283 miles) with the 19-inch wheels and 430 kilometers with the 20-inch units.

The Long Range AWD version is upper in the range, capable of driving up to 517 kilometers (321 miles) before it needs to be plugged in again. This one accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in just 5.0 seconds.

And then there is the Performance version, with a 517-kilometer (321-mile) range and an acceleration from 0 to 100 kph in only 3.7 seconds. It's not something you’d find in your usual SUV.

Tesla offers a four-year or 80,000-kilometer (49,710-mile) warranty for the car and an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer (99,419-mile) warranty for the battery and drive unit.