The Model 3 is Tesla’s first mass-market electric car. While the promised $35,000 base model is still not here yet, that hasn’t prevented the company from selling thousands of vehicles. According to a new report, the Tesla Model 3 was actually the best selling electric vehicle in the world last year.
Data firm JATO Dynamics reports that the Tesla Model 3 was the best selling electric vehicle in the world in 2018. The report mentions that the company sold almost 138,000 units of the Model 3 which was far ahead of the flagship EV of BAIC, a Chinese state-owned automaker, and the Nissan Leaf, which moved 92,000 and 85,000 units respectively.
Tesla has been working to expand Model 3 deliveries outside the United States to further expand the reach of its mass-market electric car. It has now begun delivering the vehicle in China which happens to be the largest market in the world for electric cars. The Model 3 also recently arrived in Europe for the first time. These new markets are expected to increase Tesla’s sales of the Model 3 by over 100,000 units in 2019.
JATO’s figures are based on vehicle registrations which makes them more precise compared to predictions that we often hear from companies themselves. The improvement of sales by 100,000 units this year is an estimate from Tesla itself, for example. The company does plan on doubling Model 3 production this year to keep up with demand.