- BYD outsold Tesla in Europe in April.
- The biggest winner in the EV game was Volkswagen.
- The European EV market surged last month with a 28% increase in sales.
“A watershed moment for Europe’s car market.” That’s what Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at Jato Dynamics, said after the automotive intelligence company published April’s sales numbers for Europe.
For the first time, Chinese giant BYD has registered more pure electric cars in the region than Tesla, marking a huge shift in the European car industry. For reference, Tesla has ruled the region’s electric car market for the better part of a decade, while BYD has only started selling cars in Europe in late 2022.
The Skoda Elroq was the best-selling EV in Europe in April.
Photo by: Skoda
According to Jato Dynamics, BYD had 7,231 EVs registered in Europe last month, a 169% year-over-year increase that propelled the Chinese brand to the 10th spot on the best-selling EV brands list. Meanwhile, Tesla had 7,165 registrations, a 49% drop that kicked the American automaker down to 11th place on the list.
The difference between the two is negligible–just 66 units–but it’s a big deal in the grand scheme of things, especially considering that the European Union has increased import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company has seen “a major rebound” in demand after a global retooling in the first quarter for the refreshed Model Y crossover, which is the automaker’s best-selling product. These figures show the opposite.
| Rank | Brand | Units | Difference from April 2024 |
| 1 | Volkswagen | 23,514 | +61% |
| 2 | BMW | 14,867 | +5% |
| 3 | Skoda | 13,598 | +214% |
| 4 | Audi | 11,958 | +48% |
| 5 | Renault | 10,328 | +58% |
| 6 | Kia | 9,101 | +55% |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz | 8,739 | -1% |
| 8 | Volvo | 7,768 | -43% |
| 9 | Hyundai | 7,346 | +20% |
| 10 | BYD | 7,231 | +169% |
| 11 | Tesla | 7,165 | -49% |
| 12 | Peugeot | 7,082 | -4% |
| 13 | Ford | 6,539 | +240% |
| 14 | Cupra | 6,536 | +133% |
| 15 | Citroen | 6,133 | +246% |
| 16 | Opel/Vauxhall | 4,894 | +65% |
| 17 | Mini | 3,912 | +190% |
| 18 | MG | 3,443 | -37% |
| 19 | Toyota | 2,998 | +24% |
| 20 | Polestar | 2,850 | +44% |
| 21 | Porsche | 2,759 | +309% |
| 22 | Fiat | 2,623 | -29% |
| 23 | Dacia | 2,252 | +135% |
| 24 | Xpeng | 1,649 | +268% |
| 25 | Leapmotor | 1,426 | New |
They prove how much ground Tesla has lost in Europe, mostly because of Musk’s antics. Meanwhile, local giants like Volkswagen, BMW, Skoda, and Renault have picked up the slack and charged ahead with impressive sales figures.
Volkswagen sold 23,514 EVs in April, an increase of 61% over last year. BMW sold 14,867 EVs, followed by Skoda with 13,595, Audi with 11,958, and Renault with 10,328. Except for Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, all the brands on the top 10 list had growing EV sales last month.
| Rank | Model | Units | Difference from April 2024 |
| 1 | Skoda Elroq | 7,998 | New |
| 2 | Volkswagen ID.3 | 6,932 | +34% |
| 3 | Volkswagen ID.7 | 6,776 | +640% |
| 4 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 6,297 | +3% |
| 5 | Kia EV3 | 5,680 | New |
| 6 | Renault 5 | 5,662 | New |
| 7 | BMW iX1 | 5,518 | +24% |
| 8 | Skoda Enyaq | 5,037 | +37% |
| 9 | Tesla Model Y | 4,495 | -53% |
| 10 | Citroen C3 | 3,962 | New |
| 11 | Audi Q6 e-tron | 3,955 | New |
| 12 | Volvo EX30 | 3,712 | -57% |
| 13 | Cupra Born | 3,675 | +31% |
| 14 | BMW i4 | 3,649 | -16% |
| 15 | Ford Explorer | 3,526 | New |
| 16 | Audi Q4 e-tron | 3,353 | -16% |
| 17 | Audi A6 e-tron | 3,161 | New |
| 18 | Mercedes-Benz EQA | 3,082 | -1% |
| 19 | Renault Scenic | 3,034 | +413% |
| 20 | Cupra Tavascan | 2,858 | New |
| 21 | Mercedes-Benz EQB | 2,758 | +7% |
| 22 | Toyota bZ4X | 2,733 | +18% |
| 23 | Hyundai Kona | 2,732 | -18% |
| 24 | Tesla Model 3 | 2,604 | -41% |
| 25 | Hyundai Inster | 2,515 | New |
Overall, European EV sales grew by 28% in April compared to the same period last year, leading to a market share of 17%, up from 13% last year. That’s a huge jump compared to the overall car market, which increased by just 0.1%.
The best-selling EV in Europe last month was the Skoda Elroq, followed by the Volkswagen ID.3, Volkswagen ID.7, Volkswagen ID.4, and Kia EV3. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y dropped to ninth place, while the Tesla Model 3 is in 24th place.
It’s worth noting that BYD doesn’t have a single model on the 25 best-selling EVs list, but that’s because its overall number is made from several cars that have had lower sales than both the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. While the American EV maker has four models on sale in Europe (except in the United Kingdom, where just two are offered), BYD’s portfolio is double in size, with even more models in line.
