The Tesla Model Y has emerged as the most popular electric vehicle (EV) in Europe, according to the latest registrations data from Jato Dynamics.

In 2022, Tesla sold 137,052 Model Ys in Europe giving it significant headway against rival vehicles.

The second best-selling EV was the Tesla Model 3, with 91,475 registrations. Tesla’s combined performance was not enough to secure it as the leading EV manufacturer, however. Volkswagen Group was the best-performing brand by volume, with 349,200 EVs registered across Europe in 2022.

Volkswagen’s ID4 took third place, achieving 67,590 registrations, with sales up 23%, although this came at the expense of the ID3 which took fifth place having achieved 53,015 registrations.

Volkswagen lost almost 3.0 market share points to Tesla, Stellantis, BMW Group, Geely Group, and several Chinese carmakers last year. Tesla saw a volume increase of 38%, outselling Stellantis to secure 2nd place in the EV ranking by OEM. This was possible due to strong demand for the Model Y.

Geely (owner of Volvo and Polestar) and China’s OEMs saw EV registrations more than double  between 2021 and 2022. The results of the former were driven by strong demand for the Polestar 2, Volvo XC40, and Volvo C40 in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the UK. Of China’s carmakers operating in Europe, MG accounted for the majority of new vehicle registrations (80%) with an increase of 111% to 49,200 units.

In the plug-in hybrid market, the Ford Kuga remined the best-selling model, followed by the BMW 330e and then the Volvo XC40.

In 2022, registrations of electrified vehicles in Europe reached a new record with a total of 2.59 million units. Year-on-year, volume increased by 15%, and by 92% when compared with 2020.

In 2019 – before the Covid-19 pandemic hit European markets – registrations totalled 561,000 units, however the market share for EVs has grown from 3.6% to 23% last year – a volume increase of 362%.

Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, commented: “The rapid growth in demand for EVs is the consequence of continued government support through incentives, and a shift in consumer sentiment thanks to increasing awareness around the available product offering.”

EVs in 2022 accounted for 13.9% of all new car registrations.

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