European car sales have been strong in the first six months of the year, with a total of 6.56 million cars sold across the continent. This represents the highest half-year registration volume since the Covid-19 pandemic, an increase of 976,000 units compared to the previous year. However, these figures are still below the pre-Covid 2019 sales of 8.42 million units in the same period.

Felipe Munoz, Jato’s global analyst, stated that although car registrations are slowly increasing again, challenges in the supply chain and other post-pandemic factors mean that the market will take some time to return to its pre-2020 state. Munoz also noted that the high prices of electric cars present a major barrier to achieving higher sales volumes.

In spite of this, the Tesla Model Y emerged as Europe’s best-selling car in June and topped the sales chart for the overall first half of 2023. This marks the first time a battery-electric car has achieved this milestone at the half-year stage, surpassing popular models such as the Dacia Sandero, Vauxhall Corsa, and Volkswagen T-Roc. The Model Y has sold 126,565 units so far in 2023, a remarkable 204% increase compared to the previous year.

The top five best-selling cars in Europe for the first half of 2023 were: the Dacia Sandero (123,408 units), Volkswagen T-Roc (11,692 units), Peugeot 208 (105,699 units), and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa (105,637 units). It is noteworthy that three out of the top five cars sold in Europe this year belong to the supermini segment. Additionally, four out of the top five cars experienced a year-on-year sales increase.

Tesla’s strong sales performance follows price cuts for its Model Y SUV and Model 3 saloon. In the UK, Tesla reduced the price of the Model Y by £8000 and the Model 3 by up to £6500 in January 2023. These discounts were implemented to boost sales after the company faced a surplus of 34,000 units in the final quarter of 2022.

The top 10 best-selling cars in Europe

1. Tesla Model Y, 126,565 units, +204% year on year