International – Last year Elon Musk raised more than a few sceptical eyebrows when he claimed that his Tesla Model Y would become the world’s best-selling car in 2023.
Although there is still a considerable amount of year left, that prediction is so far proving true.
According to a report published on Motor1, using data from Jato Dynamics, the Tesla Model 3 was the top-selling car in the world in the first quarter of 2023. This is still preliminary data, however, as the automotive information specialist used a mixture of official figures and estimates.
In the process, the battery-powered crossover, with its 267 200 worldwide sales in Q1, managed to beat the Toyota Rav4 and Corolla, which have dominated the sales charts until now.
The Corolla managed just over 256 000 sales during the same period, with the Toyota Hilux following in third with a volume of 214 700, and the Rav4 in fourth.
But while Corolla sales are sagging, Tesla Model Y deliveries are up by around 76 percent versus the first quarter of 2022, Motor1 reported. This was largely driven by surging demand in China, which accounted for 35% of Model Y sales, as well as increased demand in its United States home market, which gobbled 31% of the pie.
The Tesla Model Y was the world’s third-best selling car for 2022 as a whole, following the Toyota Rav4 and Toyota Corolla sedan, according to Jato Dynamics.
Tesla has cut prices more than five times this year, and back in April it was reported that the Tesla Model 3 became cheaper than the average new car in the US.
That’s not to say it’s affordable however. The Model Y has a starting price of $47 490 in the US, which equates to around R935 000.
“Tesla's constantly fluctuating prices are unique in the auto industry, although as Bloomberg established early this year, they tend to track closely with the broader US market,” Bloomberg said.
The Tesla Model 3 is available in three all-wheel drive models, with the Standard Range variant offering an EPA estimated range of 449km and accelerating from 0-96km/h in five seconds.
There’s also a Long Range version that can apparently cover 530km between charges, and a Performance model, which sacrifices some range (487km) for maximum performance, with Tesla claiming a 3.5-second 0-96km/h time.
At this stage there is no word on whether Tesla will ever enter the South African market, despite earlier hints that it could happen.