BMW overtakes Tesla as best-selling electric car in Europe

For the first time, Tesla was challenged as the autocratic ruler of BEV sales in Europe by BMW, which sold more fully electric cars than the American electric brand in July 2024. BMW registered 14,869 BEVs that month, with the iX1, i4, and i5 as the driving forces, while the new iX2 registered more than 1,300 units.

According to figures from Yato Dynamics, Tesla stranded at 14,561. The Model Y, confronted with a 16% decline and 9,544 units sold, has to pass the Best Selling BEV in Europe title to the BMW iX1, scoring 9,569 units (+33%).

Tesla still ahead YOY

Still, over the first seven months of the year, Tesla remains a clear winner, with 178,700 models sold, compared to 97,525 for BMW. Registrations of BMW’s electric models are outpacing those of its Mercedes and Audi counterparts, Yato comments. 

Volkswagen (12,213 BEVs sold) is still strong in third place despite a -3.1% loss of market share in July 2024, while Volvo is coming up strongly (+5.5%) primarily due to the success of the small EX30. That one is Europe’s second-most popular EV of the month with almost 6,600 registrations.

No Chinese brands in top 10

Volvo maneuvered itself into fourth position with 10,533 fully electric cars sold, with Audi following with 8,618. Mercedes (8,365) ranks sixth, with Peugeot (6,361) following on a distance together with the South Korean brands Hyundai (6,292) and Kia (6,034). Renault (5,638) closes the top 10.

So far, no Chinese brands are among the top BEV-sellers, although MG (21,294 or +20%) scored higher than Tesla (14,561 or -16%) in July when looking at the overall ranking of all cars sold in Europe during that month.

BEVs are largely leased company cars in Europe, while the private car market is still dominated by budget brands like Dacia. This proves that the purchase price is still a dominating factor in choosing a new car for most people.

Here the Dacia Sandero (22,398 or +34%) is leading the pack, with the Duster (15,884 or +29%) in fourth position, chasing the numbers two and three, the Volkswagen T-Roc (19,257 or +5%) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (17,314 or +47%).

Looking at the 25 best-selling brands overall in July 2024, Volkswagen’s reign is unthreatened with 105,959 cars sold despite a -3% decline. It’s still well ahead of Toyota (75,328) and BMW (64,012), the numbers two and three.