The new data released by Experian reveals that Tesla topped the US luxury vehicle market, taking the spot from BMW. It appears that the price cut of $13,000 for Model Y significantly increased the demand. The Model 3 price was also cut down.
This effect was first prominently seen in China, as Tesla’s price cut quickly stole sales away from domestic leaders BYD, NIO, and Xpeng. Now, a similar effect has been seen in the United States, with Tesla toppling BMW as the top luxury vehicle seller in the country. Tesla first stole the crown from BMW last year but has widened the gap. Tesla sold a gargantuan 49,917 vehicles in the U.S. in the first month of the year, while BMW sold 31,070. Tesla’s lead was only more apparent compared to third and fourth place, Mercedes and Lexus, who sold fewer vehicles combined than Tesla. Mercedes-Benz sold 23,345 units, while Lexus sold 23,082.
Tesla’s dominance is easily explained by the exponential growth in demand it continues to garner. Tesla sales bloomed 34% in January compared to the same time in 2022. Its most popular models, the Model 3 and Model Y, lead this sales growth, up 29% and 56%, respectively. Tesla sold 17,526 Model 3s and 28,833 Model Ys, showing that the slightly larger crossover remains the more popular body style in the United States.
Car sales
Both Tesla models demolished their BMW counterpart, the BMW i4, which sold only 1,650 units, and was the 10th most popular EV during the same timeframe. Other top luxury brands, while still growing, could not keep up with Tesla’s pace. BMW grew sales by 2.5%, Mercedes by 7.3%, while Lexus saw sales contract by 6.6%. Overall, the EV market grew dramatically, up 87% compared to January 2022.
Another factor that has likely helped Tesla and other EV manufacturers is the restructuring of the federal EV incentives. Tesla, along with General Motors and others, regained its ability to qualify for the subsidies, which continue to motivate buyers. According to a report from Bloomberg, the U.S. Treasury Department said it would broaden the definition of an SUV. This would cause the government to revise its MSRP limits on certain Model Y vehicles that previously did not qualify for the credit. BMW has followed close behind its traditional competitor, Mercedes-Benz, in introducing a large number of electric vehicles. In western markets, BMW sells the BMW i7, i4, iX, and iX3, while also selling the i3 (sedan) in China. Thanks to this rapid introduction, the German automaker has revealed that it is significantly ahead of its EV sales goals.