2023: the year an EV took the crown

Tesla's Model Y became the first pure-electric car ever to top annual global sales — 1.22 million units, up 64%, per JATO Dynamics.

The top 3

  1. First EV ever to lead the world: Model Y's 1.22M units in 2023 (+64% year-on-year) made it the first battery-electric vehicle to top the global sales chart — without even competing in most emerging markets.
  2. The incumbents it toppled: Toyota's RAV4 finished second at 1.07M, while the Corolla sedan slid 19% to 803,000 — the old guard's grip on the top spot broken for the first time.
  3. A one-year reign: Toyota's RAV4 reclaimed the global No. 1 spot in 2024, pushing Model Y back to second — though it remains history's best-selling EV by a wide margin.

Sources

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