The Tesla Model Y, an entry-level crossover manufactured by the American electric car company, was the world’s best-selling car in 2023, according to data from Jato Dynamics reported by Autocar.
In addition to clinching the top spot in global sales, the Model Y, which is Tesla’s most successful product, also emerged as the best-selling car in Europe and China last year.
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Tesla Model Y tops the sales charts
After being crowned the best-selling car in the first quarter of 2023, the Tesla Model Y continued its strong sales performance and finished last year on the top spot of the best-selling cars in the world. That’s a first for an EV.
This achievement is significant considering that the car only entered production four years ago and is produced by a company founded just two decades ago. In comparison, the Toyota RAV4, which was the best-selling car in the world in 2022, finished last year in second place, with the Toyota Corolla in third place.
Unlike the Model Y, both the RAV4 and the Corolla have long-standing histories of at least 30 years, and Toyota has almost 90 years of experience in the automotive industry.
Last year, the Model Y achieved sales of over 1.2 million units worldwide, with two out of every three Tesla-branded passenger cars sold in 2023 being Model Ys. The Toyota RAV4 saw sales of 1.07 million units, while the Corolla secured the third position with 1.01 million units in the same period.
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Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at Jato Dynamics, attributed the success of the American battery-powered crossover to Tesla’s repeated price cuts over the previous 12 months, combined with the company’s reputation as a reliable and competitive EV maker, as reported by Autocar.
In 2023, China witnessed over 456,000 Model Ys sold, representing a 45% increase from the previous year. In Europe, the Model Y achieved sales of more than 255,000 units, surpassing the second-placed Dacia Sandero by over 19,000 cars.
Overall, Tesla delivered 1.8 million cars globally in 2023, with the Model 3/Model Y duo accounting for the majority with 1.77 million units.