Volkswagen overtakes Tesla in electric car sales in Europe

In the first three months of 2025, Volkswagen has overtaken Tesla to become the leader of the European electric car market. However, the Model Y and Model 3 are still the most registered electric cars on the continent.

Here's What We Know

According to data from analyst firm JATO Dynamics, 65,679 Volkswagen electric cars were registered in Europe in the first quarter of 2025 - compared to Tesla's 53,237 units. Thus, the German carmaker overtook the company of Elon Musk, despite the continued dominance of individual Tesla models in the model standings.

VW's growth has been substantial, with registrations up 157 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2024. Tesla, by contrast, lost 38% over the same period and posted the steepest decline among the top 30 brands.

All of this is happening against a backdrop of record demand for electric vehicles. According to JATO, the first quarter was the most successful quarter ever for the BEV segment in Europe. In March alone, the share of electric vehicles reached 16.9 per cent of all new registrations - 2.7 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Despite the overall decline, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 still lead the ranking of the most popular electric cars. Model Y registrations were down 43 per cent in March, while the Model 3 showed a 1 per cent increase. Meanwhile, the Volkswagen ID.4 came in third place, lagging behind the Model 3 by about 2,000 units for the quarter.

A few days earlier, Tesla revealed its Q1 2025 financial results and they were disappointing. Net income plummeted 71% to $409 million, while revenue fell 9% to $19.3 billion - its worst quarter since 2022.

Source: Business Insider via Yahoo