Who Sells the Most All Electric Cars ? Key Questions

Who Sells the Most All Electric Cars? And Other Key Questions

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is accelerating at a rapid pace. Major automakers are pivoting to introduce new all-electric models and governments are setting aggressive EV adoption targets. With this backdrop, EV sales have soared in recent years and are projected to continue rising exponentially.

But when it comes to the key question – who sells the most all electric cars – one automaker stands clearly ahead of the pack: Tesla. We’ll analyze Tesla’s market leading EV sales position along with sales figures from other major brands. Plus we’ll overview the best selling EV models overall, emerging trends to watch in China, how new EVs compare against older ones, which states are most EV-friendly and more.

Current Electric Vehicle Sales Landscape

The electric vehicle market has seen blistering growth recently. In 2021, over 6.5 million EVs were sold globally, representing nearly 9% of total car sales. This marked a 70% year-over-year increase in EV sales. The upward trajectory is forecasted to continue as more affordable options hit the market. Bloomberg NEF projects annual EV sales will surpass 45 million by 2040 as they make up 58% of new car sales.

China continues to lead the world by a large margin in EV adoption. Nearly 3.5 million EVs were sold there in 2021, more than the rest of the world combined. However, Europe and North America are also seeing mass adoption pick up pace. EV sales more than doubled in Europe last year while the U.S. witnessed an 83% jump.

Let’s analyze the specifics around best selling EV models and brands in more detail. First we’ll rank the 10 top selling electric cars globally, then highlight Tesla’s market leading position. After that we’ll overview sales from other major automakers before discussing trends to watch in China and emerging EV technologies that aim to unseat the leaders of today in the coming years.

Top 10 Best-Selling Electric Vehicles

When analyzing the hottest selling electric vehicle models globally, one automaker dominates the rankings – Tesla. Their popular Model 3 takes the crown as overall best-selling EV, while the newer Model Y comes in at #1 in key markets like China and North America. Beyond Tesla, conventional car brands are having success electrifying some of their most iconic nameplates like Ford’s Mustang and F-150.

1. Tesla Model Y: Only in its second full year of production, the Model Y has swiftly become the best-selling EV in key markets thanks to its attractive combo of affordability, range and cargo space compared to other Tesla models. Over 935,000 units were sold last year across North America, China and Europe making it the fastest growing EV.
2. Tesla Model 3: The most affordable Tesla option dramatically grew mainstream consumer interest in EVs thanks to its sleek styling and cutting-edge tech. Since first being sold in 2017, over 1.75 million Model 3s are now on the roads with nearly a million delivered in 2021 alone.
3. Ford Mustang Mach-E: Ford successfully electrified their iconic Mustang muscle car brand with the Mach-E SUV which resonated with over 130,000 buyers last year. Its range, performance and price make it competitive with Tesla’s offerings.
4. Tesla Model S: Tesla’s premium sedan was its first mass production car and has seen continuous improvements to range and performance. Though lower volume than the Model 3/Y, it still finds over 85,000 buyers per year who want added luxury.
5. Chevy Bolt EV/EUV: The Chevy Bolt recently overcame a battery recall to retain strong appeal as an affordable EV option. It finds buyers with its $26,500 starting price and 250 mile range. Over 140k Bolt EVs and new slightly larger Bolt EUVs sold globally last year.
6. Tesla Model X: Tesla’s luxury SUV offers unique falcon wing doors and seating for up to seven. Despite its higher cost limiting volumes, it still saw strong interest with over 85,000 Model Xs hitting the roads last year.
7. Hyundai IONIQ 5: Hyundai’s retro-futuristic crossover turned heads with its standout styling and ultra-fast charging. The IONIQ 5 met impressive first year sales surpassing 90,000 globally thanks to competitive pricing and a 300+ mile range option.
8. Kia EV6: Closely related to the IONIQ 5, the new EV6 also flew off dealer lots with 70,000 sold worldwide in its debut year. Performance variants offer up to 320 HP and the GT version can charge ludicrously fast.
9. Volkswagen ID.4: The ID.4 compact SUV led mainstream automakers in affordable EV sales last year. Its initial launch was plagued by software issues but fixed models helped VW deliver over 92,000 ID.4s globally. Attractive leasing options also boosted interest.
10. Ford F-150 Lightning/Rivian R1T: Showing electric pickup momentum, Ford’s F-150 Lightning saw immediate blockbuster demand with 200,000 reservations to date. Similarly, the Rivian R1T won critical acclaim and Amazon’s backing, helping sell every model produced so far.

Now that we’ve covered today’s hot selling EV models across auto segments, next we’ll analyze the brands selling the highest overall volumes. A certain American automaker sells more electric vehicles than all major competitors combined.

EV Leader – Tesla’s Dominance

When analyzing who sells the most all electric cars, one clear market leader emerges – Tesla. While most automakers are still ramping up their electric vehicle programs, Tesla exclusively sells EVs. And their relentless focus has translated into runaway sales success.

In 2021, Tesla delivered over 936,000 electric vehicles globally. This represented astonishing 81% year-over-year growth. All other major automakers combined sold less than a million EVs. With their sales lead only widening, Tesla is in pole position to continue dominating as the EV future unfolds.

Several interlinking factors explain Tesla’s industry leading electric vehicle sales:

• Visionary Founder: Elon Musk has proven a visionary leader since founding Tesla in 2003. His insistence on only selling EVs well before public interest took off gave Tesla critical first mover advantage in the industry.
• Battery Innovations: Tesla’s investments and engineering in improving lithium ion battery energy density, manufacturing and cost reductions aid affordability and range capabilities for owners.
• Supercharger Network: Tesla operates over 30,000 proprietary Superchargers globally that only their owners can access for ultra convenient long distance travel.
• Full Tech Focus: With no legacy combustion engine models to support, Tesla pours resources into leading-edge user experiences like giant touchscreens, advanced driver assistance and over-the-air software improvements.

While Tesla clearly leads today, growing competition from new EV startups and conventional automakers focused on electrification has CEO Elon Musk warning employees to work harder as Tesla’s market share will decline.

EV Sales from Major Auto Brands

While Tesla continues to dominate electric vehicle sales, mainstream automakers are ramping up their EV efforts and steadily growing volumes. Most car companies now offer multiple battery electric and plug-in hybrid models across segments to suit varying needs.

Here is a breakdown of notable EV sales in 2021 from major brands beyond Tesla:

• SAIC-GM-Wuling: This Chinese joint venture shocked the industry last year by selling over 550,000 tiny, affordable EVs tailored to city driving. However experts question whether build quality supports overseas exports.
• Volkswagen Group: VW Group delivered over 452,000 electric vehicles globally thanks to new models like the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 SUV. Helped by its legacy brand awareness, Volkswagen aims to dethrone Tesla as top EV seller by 2025.
• SAIC: Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC saw accelerating success with 360,000 EVs sold last year. Particularly popular is its budget MG ZS EV SUV priced under $15,000. SAIC aims to sell over 1 million EVs annually by 2025.
• Nissan: The early EV pioneer has stumbled recently but still managed to sell 200,000 Leaf EVs globally putting it among top sellers. A new US-targeted Ariya SUV launching this year helps Nissan regain lost ground.

Beyond these leaders, other brands like Hyundai/Kia, BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz sold between 150,000 – 200,000 electric vehicles each last year as new models arrive. Combined, traditional car companies still only represent ~15% of the EV market compared to Tesla, showing Elon Musk’s warning holds truth so far.

Yet increasingly affordable options from China along with fresh competition from startups suggests the terrain may shift dramatically in coming years.

Chinese Electric Vehicle Brands Catching Up

While Tesla and conventional automakers lead electric vehicle sales today, an onslaught of emerging Chinese EV startups threatens to upend the status quo. These nimble companies are innovating rapidly and targeting global exports as a key pillar of growth.

China is already the world’s largest EV market representing over half of global sales. Much of this is powered by little known local brands tailoring cheap, compact EVs for the mass market.

A few standouts include:

• BYD: With a tech background, BYD has grown into China’s second largest EV seller after Tesla by leveraging vertical integration in components like batteries. They sold over 320,000 EVs globally last year.
• Xpeng Motors: Founded in 2015, Xpeng uses proprietary software and driver assistance technology to differentiate itself. Strong momentum helped Xpeng deliver over 90,000 smart EVs in 2021.
• NIO: Known for its distinctive styling and luxury features like swappable batteries, NIO competes directly with Tesla in China’s premium EV segment. 2021 sales exceeded 90,000 vehicles.
• Li Auto: The fastest growing Chinese EV startup with 135% annual growth. Li Auto sold over 90,000 of its tech-laden large SUVs tailored to Chinese families last year.

Dozens more Chinese EV startups flush with funding are gunning for the top companies. Industry experts speculate Chinese brands could dethrone Tesla as top seller globally before the end of the decade if momentum continues. With a decades-long head start engineering EVs matched by national backing, their ascent appears imminent.

Comparing Older EVs vs. New Models

Electric vehicles only make up a small percentage of cars sold today. But rapid advancements in battery density, motors, charging speed, design and smart technology differentiate even new models from those released just 5 years ago. In this section we’ll overview key ways today’s electric vehicles beat their predecessors across critical categories:

Range: Early electrics notoriously caused “range anxiety” with under 100 miles on a charge. But thanks to battery chemistry improvements, a Hyundai IONIQ 5 can now drive over 300 miles per charge – a 3X increase! Steady range boosts remove top consumer objection.

Charging Speed: Newer EVs support not just faster level 2 charging, but dramatically quicker DC fast charging. Where first generation Nissan Leaf’s needed nearly 10 hours to add 200 miles of range, today’s Kia EV6 can replicate that in under 20 minutes!

Performance: Led by Tesla’s models, new electric vehicles accelerate ferociously quick – beating equivalent gas powered sports cars. The premium Lucid Air charges from 0 to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds in top trim!

Design: Compare a frumpy 1st generation Nissan Leaf to sleek new options like Mercedes’ EQS or Audi’s e-Tron line and it’s clear significant style upgrades occurred benefiting crossover appeal.

Technology: With EV startups unencumbered by legacy combustion vehicles, new electric cars boast giant touchscreens, mobile app integration, regular over-the-air software enhancements and assistive driving features that eclipse dated electric tech.

The downside to this rapid innovation is new EVs carry premium price tags 30-50% higher than predecessors with similar range. Early adopters pay for the cutting-edge hardware. Only sustained mass production will drive costs down sufficiently.

Still for many, the progress seen from older electric cars to new models makes opting for the latest EV technology well worth budget increases given the usability improvements.

Best and Worst States for Owning an Electric Vehicle

Given the patchwork of state level electric vehicle incentives and costs, certain regions prove dramatically more EV friendly overall than others currently. Key factors determining the states where owning an electric vehicle makes the most economic sense include:

• Financial Incentives: States like California, New Jersey and New York offer generous cash rebates up to $5,000 for buying or leasing EVs making them more affordable.
• HOV/Toll Perks: Allowing lone drivers of electric vehicles to access carpool or toll lanes offers real commute time savings for EV owners in states granting access.
• Electricity Costs: Regional utility rates vary wildly from $0.10 to over $0.30 per kWh impacting annual charging costs. Renewable energy proliferation helps lower rates.
• Range Reality: Midwestern commutes tend to be longer than coastal drives. So EVs require 50-100+ more miles of range to comfortably eliminate range anxiety in America’s heartland.

Given these criteria, California stands above all other states as most EV friendly thanks to sizable purchase incentives combined with exclusive HOV access, mild weather reducing range loss and increasing solar electricity generation.

On the flip side, Midwestern states dependent on coal power prove toughest for reliance on electric only vehicles given extreme weather demands on range and higher charging costs.

Still over 40 states offer some combination of financial or HOV incentives along with renewable energy growth tailored to benefit EV owners locally. The list of most favorable states will continue evolving along with battery tech improvements that expand range and practicality nationally in the years ahead.

Powering Your EV with Solar

With electric vehicles fully responsible for their mammoth energy consumption, an increasing number of owners are powering EVs using solar panels. Combining rooftop solar photovoltaic systems with electric cars enables running entirely on self-generated clean energy.

Benefits of pairing home solar electric systems with electric vehicles include:

• Lower Fuel Budgets: Sunlight converted to charge batteries costs far less than paying for gasoline long-term. Solar powered EV driving can save individual owners thousands per year.
• Energy Independence: Rooftop solar panels combined with an EV battery enables running without any grid energy dependence – offering personal energy security.
• Clean Transportation: Solar generated EV driving creates zero direct carbon emissions for sustainable personal mobility aligned to global climate targets.
• Improved Grid: Strategic timed EV charging when solar panels produce surplus power stresses electricity infrastructure less while optimizing renewable energy usage.

Large scale EV adoption will require equally massive solar and wind power expansion to deliver clean energy. But households today can pave the way utilizing existing technology. Some solar companies already offer tailored panel systems for EV charging.

As battery ranges continue improving in cars, matching energy generation and storage capacity will grow increasingly viable at mass market scales in the coming decade. The electric and solar industries stand poised to transform transportation and energy synergistically.

So while Tesla clearly dominates electric vehicle sales today, the terrain looks set to shift dramatically as new trends like solar integration, lowering costs and competition from China reshape market dynamics in the critical years ahead.

KEY POINTS : Who Sells the Most All Electric Cars

As we’ve covered, Tesla is clearly the top electric vehicle seller today thanks to their visionary leadership and relentless technology innovation focus. However, legacy automakers like Volkswagen and Nissan pioneered early electric models while the industry was still skeptical about mass adoption potential. Moving forward, Tesla faces an onslaught of strengthened competition as the electrification transition accelerates globally.

Emerging Chinese EV brands like BYD, Li Auto and Xpeng motors delivered over 500,000 electric vehicles last year alone. Their quickly iterating designs and proprietary advances – especially in economy models – threatens to disrupt the entire automotive sector. Industry analysts predict Chinese companies could dethrone Tesla to sell the most all-electric cars before 2030.

Beyond sales figures, it’s clear owning an electric vehicle varies dramatically in advantages state-by-state currently. But as renewable energy mixes grow, ranges improve and more public charging infrastructure gets installed over the next decade, limitations around EV ownership will progressively disappear. Until then, Californians enjoy the most electric vehicle friendly combo of incentives, HOV access and temperate weather to eliminate range anxiety.

No matter what shakeups happen around best-selling EV brands this decade, electric vehicle adoption overall looks destined for explosive growth globally. As battery prices fall 14% annually, purchase price parity with gas powered models draws within reach. Higher performance, mainstream model availability and renewable energy integration makes an all-electric future inevitable.

Conclusion : Who Sells the Most All Electric Cars

The electric vehicle revolution is clearly accelerating with new models offering dramatically improved range, performance, styling and technology over predecessors from just 5 years ago. This innovation shows no signs of slowing either.

“So for those considering going electric, now presents an exciting time filled with ever-expanding options.” Test drive the new lineup of EVs matching your needs across body styles to experience the higher caliber offerings compared to early electrics.

Find out what purchase incentives your state offers at the Department of Energy’s handy (https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/state). For existing owners, calculate potential electricity bill savings by installing solar panels from energysage.com.

And check back frequently as we cover the latest EV developments including rising Chinese brands, new model launches from traditional automakers and renewable energy innovations transforming sustainable transportation.

The electric future draws near! Take part in the mass adoption accelerating all around.