The Tesla Model Y officially took the crown as Europe’s best-selling car overall for 2023, making it the first electric vehicle ever to do so. While the Model Y had taken the spot for a few months last year, year-end results were a close call with a very different vehicle: the ubiquitous ICE hatchback Dacia Sandero, tightly priced at $13,051 (€12,000).
Market research specialists at Dataforce released year-end data showing that Tesla’s Model Y sold 254,822 units in Europe last year, which Automotive News Europe first reported. The Tesla Model Y beat out the Romanian hatchback Dacia Sandero, which sold 235,893 units. So far, 97% of sales in the European Union, the EFTA countries, and the UK have been factored into the data.
How Tesla managed to pull off the win, especially as buyers are expecting the Model Y “Juniper” update, is by strategically pushing its crossover forward with some hefty price cuts, which started at the beginning of last year and are still happening now all across Europe. Tesla, too, benefitted from generous government incentives in Europe last year, which will be curbed more this year. Tesla produces its Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin, where it is producing 3,000 Model Y vehicles per week for the European market.
Throughout last year, the Model Y claimed the top spot in seven out of the 12 months, with the Dacia Sandero taking the lead in four of the months. The Volkswagen T-Roc took the top spot for one month. In 2023, VW T-Rock sold 206,438 units, which put it in third place.
Compared to 2022, Tesla sold 137,608 units, compared to the Dacia Sandero, which sold 200,736 units and was the best-selling car that year.
Other top models for 2023 include the Renault Clio in fourth with 202,942 and the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa in fifth and sixth places, selling 194,376 and 188,662 units respectively.
For the US, the Model Y was the fifth best-selling model last year, selling about 403,897 units.
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