The Tesla Model 3 was ranked number two in Europe’s car sales figures for June, trailing only the Volkswagen Golf hatchback for the top spot. The Model 3’s catapult to the silver medal on the podium proves electromobility is here, and Europe very well may be the world’s first continent to have an electric vehicle dominate an entire automotive sector’s sales figures in a particular region.
New data from research firm Jato Dynamics reveals that the all-electric sedan from Tesla narrowly fell short of the Volkswagen Golf. The Model 3 sold 25,697 units in June in Europe, up from its average of around 11,000 vehicles per year. The Model 3s in Europe are exported from Tesla’s Giga Shanghai production facility in China, supplementing some units that were shipped from the Fremont production plant in Northern California.
Credit: Tesla
Data from Jato suggests that the Model 3 has been sold 66,350 times so far in 2021, making it the 25th best-selling car so far this year. The company just started sending the China-produced Model 3s to Europe in January, after long stating that it would not export vehicles from Shanghai to other countries. However, demand for Tesla’s EVs in Europe has continued to spike.
Bloomberg states that battery and plug-in hybrid models have more than doubled their market share in June to 19%. This is made possible by tasty incentives that are convincing Europe’s internal combustion engine drivers to switch to more sustainable powertrains. Europe currently has a goal to ban new fossil-fuel vehicles in 2035, after a recent vote from the European Union. This would kill the production of gas and diesel-powered cars starting 2035, leaving only electric powertrains available for legal production past that year.
The Model 3 has consistently outdueled other electric models from competitors that are based in Europe. Volkswagen, arguably the most vocal supporter of a full transition to electrification, has not been able to dent Tesla’s domination in several comparable markets. VW’s electric models are similarly designed to the Model Y crossover, which has dominated sales figures in several markets since its introduction early last year.
Tesla has found plenty of success in the European market in past months as well. In March, for example, the Model 3 accounted for over 10% of the total EV sales, with 24,184 units sold. The next closest competitor was the Hyundai Kona EV, selling only 5,643 units in March in Europe.
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