Model Y becomes the world’s best-selling car

Launched in 2020, the Model Y crossover hit the sweet spot of the global market — a practical, software-defined electric SUV at a mainstream price. In 2023 it did something no electric vehicle had ever done: it became the best-selling car of any kind in the entire world, with roughly 1.2 million units sold, outselling every petrol and diesel model on the planet.

Toyota's RAV4 reclaimed the global #1 spot in 2024 as Tesla's volumes plateaued and competition intensified — but the 2023 milestone stands: no electric vehicle had ever topped the worldwide sales chart before, and the Model Y was the first to do it.

For an electric vehicle from a company that critics had repeatedly written off to outsell the Toyota Corolla and Ford F-Series worldwide in 2023 is a landmark in automotive history. It is perhaps the single clearest piece of evidence that the transition to electric vehicles — which Tesla did more than anyone to start — has decisively arrived.