Volkswagen, BMW Overtake Tesla in European BEV Market

Data from research firm JATO Dynamics, published by Reuters on Monday, revealed that Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) sales in Europe fell behind those of Volkswagen, the BMW Group, and several Chinese rivals in February.

JATO Dynamics reported that Chinese-owned brands collectively outsold Tesla in battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales across key European markets.

Among them, BYD and Polestar recorded significant growth, with BEV sales rising by 94% and 84% respectively, reaching over 4,000 and 2,000 units. Xpeng sold more than 1,000 vehicles, while Leapmotor delivered nearly 900 units.

However, BEV sales declined for some Chinese-owned brands. Volvo, owned by Geely, saw a 30% drop, and SAIC-owned MG experienced a sharp 67% decline, according to the data.

Overall, car sales across 25 EU markets, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland decreased by 3% to 970,000 vehicles in February. In contrast, BEV registrations rose by 25% over the same period.

Tesla’s BEV registrations in these markets fell by 44% year-on-year to under 16,000 units, marking its lowest February market share in five years at 9.6%.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen saw a 180% surge in BEV sales, reaching nearly 20,000 units. BMW and its subsidiary Mini combined to sell close to 19,000 BEVs during the month, the data showed.