- Volkswagen sold 7,177 ID.4’s, compared to the Tesla Model Y’s 6,115 during the same time period.
- This is an increase of 195% compared to January 2024. By comparison, Model Y sales are down 44%.
- The Volkswagen ID.7 sedan is up more than 600%.
Unless you‘ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen that things aren’t going so good for Tesla right now. Especially in Europe, sales were already on the way down, but recent Musk antics that run afoul of some European countries’ anti-hate speech laws have helped crater the brand’s sales. Yet, while Tesla’s sales are down by a lot, another brand is picking up steam. For February, the Tesla Model Y was dethroned by the Volkswagen ID.4. as Europe’s best-selling EV In fact, the whole Volkswagen group is doing pretty well.
According to data from JATO Dynamics, Europe has seen something of a market contraction overall. Vehicle registrations are down 2%, but Tesla is taking it on the nose here. Compared to last year, Tesla’s registrations as a whole are down a whopping 44%, down from 18,121 units in January 2024 to a mere 9,913 units for January 2025.
Now, the study is cautious and doesn’t place the blame entirely on Musk’s latest actions. Part of Tesla’s slump is due to a stagnant product line, and the Model Y is an old product (Not that the ID.4 is a spring chicken). A new Model Y may boost sales, and buyers could also be waiting for it to hit showrooms, but neither is necessarily a given. The updated Model 3 has been on sale in Europe for a while now, yet it hasn’t been able to reach its old peak sales rate. JATO says the updated Model 3 was released in January 2023, but by January 2024, registrations were still down 44%. Also, Musk’s meddling in international politics has only grown stronger since the start of the year. That is something that may continue to turn off European buyers, especially if Tesla dealerships continue to catch on fire.
Volkswagen group is the biggest winner, though. The ID.4, ID.3, ID.7 and Skoda Enyaq occupy four of the top ten spots when it comes to both EV sales and growth. The ID.4’s 7,177 units is 195% higher than last year and outsold the Model Y’s 6,115 units. The no-longer-for-the-U.S. ID.7 had a superb increase of more than 600% compared to last year, although that only translates to just 5,879 sales.
Photo by: Skoda
On a more positive note, these numbers show that electrification is still growing in Europe. The market shrank a bit, but ICE and PHEVs absorbed that damage, while EV sales actually grew by 38%. Chinese brands are continuing to make inroads, while established European brands seem like they’re finally figuring out how to reach consumers.
I’m not the Volkswagen ID.4’s biggest fan. But I do recognize that it’s gone through several improvements since it first drove onto the scene back in 2021. For a lot of drivers, the ID.4 hits the right notes of range and comfort for a little bit cheaper than the Tesla Model Y.
It’s not clear if the ID.4 will continue to be the main winner in Europe’s EV race. However, given how other brands are now reaching sales parity with Tesla, it’s crystal clear that it is no longer the only big EV game in town.
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