Tesla Model Y Was Europe's Best-Selling New Car Last Year

The electric crossover became the first EV to win the continent's sales crown in history.

By: Angel Sergeev

Jan 19, 2024 at 4:30am ET

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In a surprising turn of events, the Tesla Model Y has secured its place as Europe's best-selling car for the year 2023. Preliminary data from market research specialists at Dataforce reveals that the American electric vehicle has established a solid lead over its closest competitor, the Dacia Sandero. With figures representing 97 percent of sales in the European Union, the EFTA countries, and the UK, the Model Y triumphs over the Romanian hatch with a lead of 254,822 to 235,893 units.

How did the Model Y win the crown? One of the main reasons is that Tesla strategically catapulted the crossover to success by implementing substantial price cuts at the beginning of 2023, a trend that has persisted into the current year. The company also benefited from incentives targeting company cars in Germany last year, where the Model Y emerged as the best-selling EV car with approximately 45,800 registrations, according to Automotive News.

Gallery: 2021 Tesla Model Y

Throughout 2023, the Model Y claimed the top-selling position in seven out of the 12 months, showcasing its sustained popularity. The Dacia Sandero led in four months, while the Volkswagen T-Roc secured the top spot in one month. Below is a list of Europe's 20 best-selling vehicles last year:

Europe’s Top 20 selling models in 2023

Position	Model	2023 sales	2022 sales
1	Tesla Model Y	254,822	137,608
2	Dacia Sandero	235,893	200,736
3	VW T-Roc	206,438	180,909
4	Renault Clio	202,942	143,293
5	Peugeot 208	194,376	206,986
6	Opel Corsa	188,662	163,861
7	VW Golf	184,279	177,386
8	Toyota Yaris Cross	176,685	136,959
9	VW Tiguan	174,267	149,023
10	Skoda Octavia	161,784	112,776
11	Ford Puma	159,778	136,976
12	Toyota Yaris	158,838	175,562
13	Hyundai Tucson	158,831	150,728
14	Peugeot 2008	158,571	140,826
15	Dacia Duster	156,556	149,323
16	Kia Sportage	152,342	137,378
17	Citroen C3	146,008	143,467
18	Nissan Qashqai	145,476	115,980
19	Renault Captur	145,078	135,066
20	VW Polo	139,761	113,567

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Contrasting the previous year's rankings, where the Peugeot 208 reigned as Europe's best-seller in 2022 and the Sandero took the second spot, the Model Y's ascendancy in 2023 marks the first time an electric vehicle secures the top position in Europe’s annual sales report. Meanwhile, the VW Golf, which topped the sales charts in 2021, is anticipated to slip to seventh place in 2023.

As a final note, the Model Y was America’s fifth best-selling model last year with approximately 403,897 units delivered to customers. This number represents a 16-percent increase compared to 2022 when the Model Y was the best-selling vehicle globally.