Volkswagen’s ID.4 claimed the title of Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle in January, surpassing Tesla’s Model Y, as registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose despite an overall decline in new car sales.
According to data from JATO Dynamics, 165,473 EVs were registered in Europe last month, marking a 37% year-on-year increase. The Volkswagen ID.4 saw registrations surge 195% to 7,177 units, overtaking the Tesla Model Y, which recorded 6,155 registrations—a 46% decline from the same period last year.
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Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO, noted that Tesla’s drop in sales was “not unusual” ahead of a model update, but added that the performance of the Model 3 and Model Y “is an indication of the declining popularity of Tesla in Europe overall.” Tesla’s overall European registrations fell 45% year-on-year to 9,913 units in January.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen capitalized on the shift, with the ID.4 leading the market and the ID.7 securing third place with 5,879 registrations, a 657% increase from a year earlier. Kia’s newly launched EV3 took fourth place with 5,792 units, followed by the Skoda Enyaq.
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Chinese automakers are also gaining ground in Europe, with brands such as BYD and MG collectively registering 37,134 vehicles last month, up 52% year-on-year. Their combined market share rose to 3.7%, surpassing Ford (F.N), which registered 35,790 units in Europe during the same period.