Tesla isn’t only dominating its EV rivals when it comes to sales; it’s also hosing its ICE-powered competitors as well.
Snapshot
- Tesla Model Y becomes the first EV ever to top Europeu2019s annual sales tally
- Model Y was the only EV inside the top 30
- Value a key Model Y attraction in Europe following price cuts across the continent
Fresh from a strong 2023 in Australia that saw finish the year in sixth overall, the Tesla Model Y has now become the first ever EV to nab the title of Europe’s best-selling vehicle.
The Model Y edged out 2022’s best-seller, the Dacia Sandero, by a decent margin thanks to 254,822 registrations compared with the Dacia’s 235,893.

The Volkswagen T-Roc rounded out the podium in Europe’s 2023 sales race with 206,438 registrations.
Beneath the top three followed the usual mix of hatches and small SUVs that have traditionally been Europe’s strongest sellers: Renault Clio (202,942), Peugeot 208 (194,376), Opel Corsa (188,662) and VW Golf (184,279).
Unlike Australia, there isn’t a single dual-cab ute in Europe’s list of top 20 best-sellers.
Amazingly ever member of Europe’s top 10 recorded growth over the figures they achieve in 2022 — expect for the Peugeot 208 which was down slightly — however none of them could match the Tesla’s explosion in sales.
While the Dacia Sandero records a sales jump of 17.5 per cent per cent over 2022, the Tesla Model Y was up by 85 percent.

Further underscoring the Model Y’s impressive result is the fact that it’s the only EV to feature inside Europe’s top 30 best-selling cars.
While other models do include EV variants, the Tesla Model Y is the only EV-only contender. Europe’s next best-selling EV is the Tesla Model 3, which finished 33rd.
Value was a key reason for the Model Y’s success in Europe. Tesla introduced substantial price cuts throughout 2023 and is clearly keen to retain value as a core Model Y attraction into 2024 given more price reductions were announced in several European countries earlier this week.
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 |
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