Tesla's Model Y on Track To Become Europe's Best-Selling Car

Governments made sure to let us know that the automotive industry had to change. Some executive bodies even announced a ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. It was their way of giving everyone a push in the "green" direction.

Others introduced strong incentives for people who showed a willingness to become early adopters. Most, however, woke up too late to the new industry trends. Now, China's ahead of everyone else in sourcing raw materials, short supply chains, battery manufacturing, and vehicle assembly. The Asian country is also pushing forward with serious investments in renewable energy.

But the US might still have a chance at helping its auto industry make a comeback. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced an updated EV tax credit that forces carmakers to manufacture and source their most important materials from North America or countries with which the US has a free-trade agreement. On top of that, it introduced incentives for battery manufacturers and chipmakers.

There are also funds for deploying high-power charging networks through the NEVI and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant programs.

But automakers aren't blind. They saw that Tesla was making a killing with its all-electric units and decided to follow up with some of their own. However, they didn't manage to catch up to the Texas-based brand just yet. The latest data shows that might have just become even more challenging.

In 2022, Tesla's Model Y was the world's third-best-selling car. Toyota's Rav4 and Corolla outnumbered the all-electric crossover SUV.

But the EV maker started 2023 with a bang by introducing heavy discounts. It surprised everyone, but we warned our readers about it at the height of the 2022 craze. Apart from price reductions, Tesla also enjoyed great branding opportunities because charging providers like Electrify America/Canada suffered (and, sadly, still do) reliability troubles. Things have gotten so bad in this department that in North America, there's even a new term for electric cars that aren't made in a Gigafactory – "non-Tesla EVs."

Thus, it's not at all surprising that the Model Y became the world's best-selling car in the first three months of 2023, establishing an important premiere for this statistic. According to JATO Dynamics, a zero-tailpipe emission vehicle rose to the very top for the first time.

Some three months later, European sales data surfaced and showed that the Model Y was the Old Continent's favorite in the first half of 2023, per Dataforce.

The same was true for the entire world. The Model Y reached 427,524 customers in the first six months of the current year, whereas Toyota's Corolla only found 410,732 buyers.

We're nearing the end of Q3, and things look stellar for Tesla's crossover SUV. August might crown the unit as the month's best seller after a sales improvement of about 189%. The data collected is not definitive when writing, but there's a high chance that nobody will even come close to the Model Y's August sales numbers.

The all-electric vehicle fights tooth and nail with the Dacia Sandero, a gas-powered, budget-friendly car. In the first eight months of 2023, Tesla sold 153,191 Model Ys, while the Romanian automaker delivered 148,080 Sanderos, according to Automotive News citing Dataforce.

If Tesla continues selling the existing Model Y until the end of the year and does not raise prices, it could become Europe's best-selling car. It would be a major premiere.

But there's a facelift looming, one that could borrow the new Model 3's looks. We'll see what the automaker decides. It's undoubtedly an exciting time for Tesla shareholders, the company's employees, and the management team.