In January-March 2023, the American electric crossover found 267.2 thousand buyers, allowing it to overtake two world market leaders — the Toyota Corolla with 256.4 thousand cars and the RAV4, which sold 214.7 thousand units. According to MarketWatch, this is an unprecedented case where the best-selling car in the world became an electric vehicle.
The sales information was published by the analytical agency Jato Dynamics, not by automakers. Tesla, as is known, does not publish sales data for individual models, but overall in the first quarter of 2023, the company shipped approximately 400 thousand Model Y and Model 3 cars. Despite significant volumes, the brand ranks only 19th in the global standings, while the top three places are held by Volkswagen, Toyota, and General Motors.
Discussions that the Model Y could become the world sales leader were already underway last year. At that time, Elon Musk suggested that his electric car could surpass the Toyota Corolla, which sells about 1.15 million units annually. The first step in this direction has already been taken: in the three months of 2023, the Model Y outpaced not only other electric vehicles but also gasoline models, including the Corolla and RAV4.
Interestingly, the price of the Model Y is significantly higher than its competitors: in the US, the electric car starts at $47,490, while the base Corolla costs from $21,550, and the RAV4 from $27,575. So the secret of success is clearly not in the price.
