The top 10 most popular EVs contain 4 cars that you do not know

The list is compiled by Motor1.com. They examined the sales data of electric vehicles worldwide and formed a top ten. It also shows the growth or shrinkage of sales of the models compared to 2021. We show the top 10 and highlight four striking facts from the list.

The top 10: 2 Teslas, 7 Chinese and 1 European

The top 10 looks like this:

1. Tesla Model Y – 747.500 (+91 procent)
2. Tesla Model 3 – 482.200 (-3 procent)
3. Wuling Hongguang Mini EV – 443.400 (+14 procent)
4. Dolphin WORLD – 205.200 (+916 percent)
5. BYD Atto 3/Yuan Plus – 180,600 (new model)
6. Volkswagen ID.4 – 175,600 (+53 percent)
7. BYD Qin – 163,400 (+109 percent)
8. GAC Aion Y – 119.800 (+282 procent)
9. GAC Aion S – 117.000 (+53 procent)
10. BYD Male – 116,500 (+48 percent)

Tesla fearlessly leading

Tesla had an excellent year in terms of sales numbers. The Americans not only took the lead, but also the second place in the top ten. The Tesla Model Y sold 747,500 times and is therefore well at the top. Sales of the SUV have even increased by 91 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. Sales of the Tesla Model 3 actually shrunk by 3 percent, but Tesla’s sedan remains one of the best-selling EVs worldwide with 482,200 sales in 2022 .

BYD is on the rise

No less than four models in the top ten are from BYD. The growth in sales figures shows that the Chinese giant is on the rise. Three of the four models have already come to the Netherlands via the Louwman Group in recent years. Only the BYD Qin we do not know here.

Of the BYD models, the BYD Dolphin was the most popular. Sales of the hatchback with electric powertrain grew by a whopping 916 percent – by far the largest growth on the list. The BYD Atto 3 (formerly called Yuan Plus in China) follows. The BYD Qin – a compact sedan that, as mentioned, is not available in the Netherlands – is seventh in the top ten. The BYD Han closes the list.

Unknown Chinese storm list

In addition to BYD, other Chinese brands such as Nio, MG and Lynk & Co have also settled in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe in recent years. Just when you thought you were familiar with all Chinese car brands, a look is opened with new Chinese EV manufacturers. That is not surprising, since China has the largest EV market worldwide.

The most popular Chinese is the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. The very compact electric city car is even number three in the list, just behind the Tesla Model 3. Wuling has been selling the city mini since 2020, and the popularity of the small car has been unprecedented since then.

Two other unknown Chinese from the list come from the same producer: GAC Group. The car manufacturer from Guangzhou was founded in 1955 and is the fifth largest car manufacturer in China. The GAC Aion S is an electric sedan that saw the light of day in 2018. The EV is also sold as the Toyota iA5 through a collaboration with Toyota. The GAC Aion Y is a compact SUV that has been active in the C segment since 2021.

VW ID.4 the only European

The Volkswagen ID.4 is the only car of European origin on the list. The electric SUV from Wolfsburg sold 175,600 units worldwide. Of those, 47 percent were in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Only 39 percent of ID.4s sold on the home continent, while the United States and Canada accounted for 13 percent. Sales of the ID.4 have increased by 53 percent compared to 2021. The next European EV is the Volkswagen ID.3. With 77,900 sales worldwide, the ID.4’s little brother failed to make the top ten.