The Tesla Model 3 is on course to become Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle in 2021, amid huge growth in overall electric vehicle sales.
Tesla sold 112,687 Model 3s from January through to November, according to JATO Dynamics figures, easily making it the top-selling EV.
The Volkswagen ID 3 is likely to be the second most popular EV with 62,467 units sold in the same period, an increase of 124 per cent year-on-year.
It is set to be closely followed by the Renault Zoe which had sales of 60,362 in the same period, down 28% over 2020.
In September this year, the Model 3 topped the overall car sales charts, becoming the first electric car to do so, outperforming regular combustion-engined best-sellers including the Volkswagen Golf and Renault Clio.
Based on the figures to November, Tesla will be the top-selling brand for electric vehicles overall this year. While the Model 3 is dominant, Tesla Model Y sales are also ramping up. There have been 18,036 sales of the small SUV so far in Europe this year.
In November, low–emission vehicles - electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid - accounted for 26 per cent of European car sales, up from 12% in 2020 and only 5% in 2019.
With the semi-conductor shortage ongoing, car makers are pushing EVs to help them meet emissions targets and avoid fines, having prioritised expensive, higher-margin cars with higher emissions.
JATO Dynamic’s Felipe Munoz commented: “If you want a new car in this current environment, the chances are that EVs are going to be more accessible given the range of offers and incentives available.”
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They are a works tool, you can charge them quicker than anything else, and you are not going to own it for long enough for the battery loss of power to be a concern, which applies to any EV where the battery hasn't been treated carefully.The leading UK battery scientists recommend you dont chrage your batteries over 80%, don't let them drop below 20% charge. So that's 40% of your claimed maximum use gone before you "charge" up and down the motorway in winter. Do the math before you end up in a queue for a working charge to your VW based EV.
When you were buying a used Outlander PHEV, there was a good chance the battery had only been charged once in its life, it was after all, more often than not, just a means to avoid tax for many business buyers, both in the UK and abroad. The various Govts recognised that and withdrew incentives. A pure EV has always to be charged for it to be used of course. Abuse the recommendations, supercharge too often,and the battery life will be a concern
Anyhow, your rant revolves around used cars. Buy a new one instead.
I think that the 80/20 thresholds for lithium-ion batteries are reasonably well known. There seems to be some evidence that Tesla battery packs recharge better if the charge is let fall to 20% before recharging. This seems to be less necessary with other EV cars.
With the rollout of superchargers that supersede Tesla's chargers and the launch of 800 volt EVs, whatever edge Tesla used to have with charge times had been eroded.
1. They would offer a wagon Model 3
2. They would release that much awaited hatchback
3. They would have the option of a more down to earth cockpit - an instrument cluster, the entire steering wheel, a smaller TV.
4. Make autopilot optional so buyers can save some money
Wagons have mostly been replaced by SUVs, so no point. The Model Y is here this year. The interior is a key selling point to most owners, the steering wheel is round (it's the S that has the option to have a yoke which I agree is daft), the "TV" is brilliant - why on earth would you want it smaller? It's super clear to read night and day, bizzare comment. The autopilot makes a lot of sense showing what's possible now, it's improved in the two years I've owned one with free over the air upgrades, and is important for starting to give confidence in autonomous cars.
Agreed, Tesla probably would sell more cars and have a higher market share (in Europe, at least) if had a larger model range. That said, with current EV technology, a car needs to be a certain size and shape so it can have a battery pack that provides acceptable range and performance. Equally, many ICE car makers moving to EV production have indicated that they will probably have fewer models to cater for fewer segments (than they used to), and they will provide fewer customisation options for their EVs.
Perhaps a bigger challenge for Tesla will be refreshing its exterior designs, say, every 7-10 years. This is starting to become a problem for the Model S and Model Y. Car makers have to attract new customers and encourage existing customers to stay with the brand. There are many factors involved in retaining customers and I am not sure that Tesla is doing enough on that front.
Tesla had a spectacular production volume in Q4 2021, and gigantic December sales. All across the globe. As to Telsa's #1 position in the European EV ranking, I rate the ID3 volume in Europe as disappointing. Despite the VW PR Blitz, despite the motoring press' hyper active coverage, it was behind the 'vintage' Renault Zoe in 2020. The 2021 ID3 sold 65k units, harldy more than the Up! Model3 sold twice a much.