Registrations of new electric cars in Europe rose 26% year-on-year to 164,148 units in February, according to data from JATO Dynamics. Despite the overall market growth, Tesla’s sales fell to their lowest February figure in five years, though its Model 3 and Model Y remained the two best-selling EVs.
Volkswagen overtook Tesla as the best-selling EV brand in February, increasing sales by 180% to 19,565 units. Tesla followed with 15,737 units, while BMW, Audi, Renault, and Kia also posted significant gains.
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JATO analyst Felipe Munoz attributed Tesla’s sales decline to the phase-out of the current Model Y ahead of a refreshed version, rather than CEO Elon Musk’s political activities.
Chinese car brands collectively registered 19,800 EVs in February, edging out Tesla. JATO’s definition includes Volvo under the Chinese category, given its Geely ownership. Among the top-selling models, the Model Y saw a 56% drop in registrations to 8,800 units, while the Model 3 fell 14% to 6,800. The VW ID.4 (6,172 units), Renault 5 (5,659), and ID.7 (5,432) rounded out the top five.
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Overall, BEVs accounted for 17% of Europe’s total car market in February, up from 13.2% a year earlier. Plug-in hybrids made up 7.5%, with 72,639 units sold. Tesla’s share of the EV market dropped to 9.6% for the month and 7.7% for the year to date, down from 18.4% in early 2024. Industry observers expect a potential rebound once the updated Model Y becomes widely available.
