Tesla Model Y EV named Europe’s best-selling car in 2023

The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best-selling car in 2023 with an incredible 254,822 examples of the premium battery-electric mid-size SUV finding homes across the continent.

According to preliminary figures cited by Automotive News, that was enough to relegate the popular Dacia Sandero to second spot in the EU, with the Romanian brand’s budget city car finding 235,893 new homes last year.

The Volkswagen T-Roc small SUV was third, racking up an impressive 206,438 deliveries.

And in a change of fortunes, last year’s top-selling Peugeot 208 light hatch could only manage fifth (194,376).

In taking the top spot, the Model Y has become the first EV to outsell every other vehicle on sale in Europe. It also stands as the number-one mid-size car and premium car for 2023.

In Australia, the Model Y came close to achieving similar accolades across the passenger car and SUV segments combined. Utes still dominated overall sales, the Ford Ranger taking top billing in 2023, but the Model Y – with 28,769 sales (+230%) – was the top-selling EV, premium car and premium mid-size SUV (over $60,000), and the sixth best-selling car overall.

It fell just short of the Toyota RAV4 (29,627) and MG ZS (29,258), which were the only other two non-light-commercial vehicles ahead of it.

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