By Jarryd Neves, Motoring correspondent
Tesla’s Model 3 recently made headlines when the brand’s base-model topped the European sales charts. The all-electric sedan beat the likes of the Renault Clio and VW Golf as the best-seller in September. In doing this, it was also the first-ever electric vehicle to become the number one seller.
As car sales in Germany fall owing to the ongoing semiconductor chip crisis, Elon Musk’s company saw staggering volume growth of 483% as EVs continue to gain market share in Germany, Europe’s largest vehicle market. This is according to Automotive News Europe, which also reports total registrations of Tesla vehicles rose to 1,469.
The California-based company has built a Gigafactory in Brandenburg, Germany that the company maintains is the “most advanced, sustainable and efficient facility yet”. Tesla plans to build its Model Y SUV at the plant, which has been imported into Europe from China since August, reports Automotive News Europe.
Overall, electric vehicle sales rose by a considerable 32%, accounting for 17.1% of the overall market share. Petrol-powered vehicles still hold the biggest slice of the sales pie, with a 36.2% market share. Despite this, sales fell by a noteworthy 44%.
Homegrown German brands had significant dips in their sales. Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz’s figures plunged by nearly half, at 45%. Along with other brands, the world’s oldest automobile producer has been significantly impacted by the global chip shortage. Rival brand BMW saw a far smaller decrease, at 16%.
Czech car producer Skoda’s sales declined by 55%. In October, the brand revealed it will cease production from mid-October until the end of the year. Parent company Volkswagen’s sales dipped 40% while Audi saw the biggest loss overall, at 58%.
Aside from Tesla, three other manufacturer’s enjoyed sales increases and none were German or European. Mitsubishi’s registrations increased by 5.9%, while French premium brand DS – a sub-brand of the Stellantis group – saw an increase of 1.1%. Jeep also gained 4.5% in the German market.
Read more:
- A Tesla for sale in South Africa? Model 3 appears for sale at KZN dealership
- Tesla challengers Rivian and Lucid begin delivery to customers — with insight from The Wall Street Journal
- Elon Musk sees net worth soar, approaching $300bn — with insight from The Wall Street Journal
