Volkswagen overtakes Tesla in EU electric vehicle sales in early 2025

Volkswagen has surpassed Tesla in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the European Union during the first quarter of 2025, ending Tesla’s reign as the region’s EV market leader.

During the first three months of 2025, 65,679 Volkswagen BEVs were registered in the EU, compared to 53,237 Tesla vehicles, Caliber.Az reports, citing data from analytics firm JATO Dynamics.

The German automaker recorded a remarkable 157% surge in registrations compared to the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Tesla saw a sharp 38% decline in registrations during the same period. According to JATO, this was the steepest drop among the 30 most registered car brands.

Tesla’s decline comes at a time when the EU’s BEV market reached new heights. The first quarter of 2025 set a record for BEV registrations, with battery electric vehicles accounting for 16.9% of all new car registrations in March — up 2.7% from a year earlier. Growth was mainly driven by the UK market, where volumes increased by 13%.

Despite losing its overall brand leadership, Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 remained the two most registered BEV models. In March, Model Y registrations dropped by 43%, while Model 3 registrations grew slightly by 1%. Volkswagen’s ID.4 ranked third, although its quarterly registrations trailed the Model 3 by around 2,000 units.

By Khagan Isayev