Now that 2023 is ending, it’s already apparent that the best-selling EV worldwide is the Tesla Model Y, according to recent research by Clean Technica. Also very noticeable is the ubiquity of Chinese brands in the EV top 20, with BYD as an absolute shiner.

Of course, we have only verified data for the first ten months, but the differences are generally so significant that there can only be shifts between places four, five, and six, all occupied by BYD products.

Tesla Model Y is a best-seller by far

Looking at the world’s top 20 best-selling electrified vehicles between January and October 2023, we see one glorious winner and an abundance of BYD models in the ranking.

By the end of 2023, the Tesla Model Y will quickly surpass the 1 million sales mark. It sells almost double the numbers of the second in the ranking, the BYD Song, which is sold as a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid.

Third is another Tesla, the Model 3 on the same technical base as the Y. With both models, Tesla will probably be selling around 1,8 million vehicles this year on the same platform and with the same technical features.

The other three models in the top five are from BYD, number 6, number 10, number 11, and number 13. Only three European models are in the top twenty, all from the VW Group: the VW ID.4 is at 12th place, the ID.3 is ranked 16th, and the Audi Q4 e-tron is number 20.

Fifteen of the top 20 models are Chinese, and many are not (yet) available in Europe or outside China. China is the power to be when one is talking about electrified cars for the moment.

BYD most important

When we look, for the same period, at the pure EV sales worldwide, the Chinese brand BYD is the clear winner, selling approximately one and a half times more EVs than Tesla, landing at place two.

BYD will sell more than 2,5 million EVs in 2023, while Telsa will probably turn around 2 million. Behind them, there’s a significant gap. Here again, eight of the top 20 brands are Chinese, but we also see more European brands here (six), two Koreans (Kia and Hyundai from the same group), two Americans (Ford and Jeep), and one Japanese (Toyota).

Surprisingly, during the first ten months of 2023, BMW (4th) has sold (slightly) more fully electric cars than Volkswagen (5th). Mercedes is 7th, so three European brands are still in the top 10. Other Europeans in the top 20 are Volvo (12th place), Audi (15th), and finally Peugeot (20th).