Chinese automakers surpass Tesla in European electric car sales
The European electric vehicle market is experiencing historic changes. According to JATO Dynamics, Chinese manufacturers have overtaken Tesla in electric car sales in Europe for the first time. This is occurring amid overall growth in electric vehicle demand and a significant weakening of the American manufacturer’s position.
Detailed analysis of the European electric car market
According to analytics company JATO Dynamics, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers achieved remarkable success in the European market, surpassing Tesla in sales volume for the first time in February 2024.
Market analysis shows that Chinese brands registered 19,800 new electric vehicles, while Tesla only registered 15,700 units. Particularly striking is the fact that Tesla’s market share fell to a historic low of 9.6% – the lowest figure in five years.
Among Chinese brands, BYD and Polestar achieved the greatest success, showing growth of 94% and 84% respectively. Also noteworthy is the successful market entry of manufacturers such as Xpeng, which sold over 1,000 vehicles, and Leapmotor with almost 900 units sold.
Against the backdrop of a general 3% decline in the European auto market (966,271 new vehicles), the electric vehicle segment continues to show strong growth. In February, a record 164,148 electric cars were registered, which is 26% more compared to last year.
Volkswagen Group maintains leadership in the European market with a 25.8% share, and among electric vehicle manufacturers shows the highest BEV sales growth at 108%. Renault Group also showed impressive results, increasing sales by 12% thanks to the success of new models Symbioz and Renault 5, and their electric vehicle sales grew by 96%.
Among individual models, Dacia Sandero remains the leader, followed by Citroen C3 and Renault Clio, the latter showing sales growth of 22%. Volkswagen Tiguan showed the largest increase in the top 10 with 43%.
The change in leadership in the European electric vehicle market indicates the growing influence of Chinese manufacturers and increased competition in the industry. This could lead to greater accessibility of electric cars and acceleration of the electric vehicle revolution in Europe.
