BMW overtakes rival Tesla to take the top spot in European EV sales

BMW dominated the European electric vehicle market for the first time in July, registering a surge in demand while other competitors struggled.

The German carmaker sold 14,869 fully electric cars in July, according to research firm Jato Dynamics – a 35% year-on-year increase.

Tesla, meanwhile, sold 14,561 EVs, a 16% yearly decline.

Concerning the wider market, Jato data suggests that Europeans are falling out of love with electric vehicles, with last month’s EV registrations sliding 6% compared to July 2023.

“The lack of clarity around the incentives for – and future of – EVs continues to present a barrier to consumers considering an EV,” said Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics.

Germany notably ended its EV subsidy programme in December as part of a cost-cutting drive, which prompted manufacturers to rethink their electrification strategies.

So far, BMW has managed to emerge relatively unscathed compared to its competitors – which some analysts put down to brand loyalty among customers.

Certain experts have also suggested that polarising political remarks from Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, may be harming sales at the American firm.

Even so, Tesla is still leading the pack when looking at year-to-date sales, counting a total of 178,700 vehicles. 

BMW is in second place, with 97,525 sales, while Volkswagen comes in third with a total of 88,445.