Tesla Becomes The First Electric Car to Lead Global Sales

For the first time, a pure electric car (EV) has topped global sales rankings with the Tesla Model Y the world's best-selling car for a period in the first quarter of this year.

According to the automotive industry online magazine Motor1.com, the Model Y was the first electric car to lead global sales for a period, based on data from auto-industry analytics firm JATO.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during the annual shareholders meeting last year that he anticipated the Model Y would become the best-selling new vehicle in the world in 2023. That prediction was considered an optimistic target at the time, given the high average price of this mid-size SUV.

But recent price cuts in Asian and other markets and Tesla's worldwide expansion push have bolstered demand for the Model Y.

Last year the Model Y was the third best-selling car behind two perennial best-selling models the Toyota RAV4 and the Toyota Corolla. According to data from 152 markets, Tesla sold 747,500 units of the Model Y, a 91% increase from 2021.

The gap between those models has continued to narrow as Tesla has recalibrated the prices of its cars and the adoption of EVs gains momentum.