The World’s Top 10 Best-Selling Electric Cars In 2022
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According to the data compiled by motor1, the Tesla Model Y has become the best-selling electric car in the world in 2022. Tesla sold 747,500 units of the Model Y, ahead of the Model 3 which found 482,200 customers. The Wuling Hongguang Mini occupied the third position with 443,400 units. The BYD Dolphin, BYD ATTO 3, Volkswagen ID.4, BYD Qin, Aion Y, Aion S, and BYD Han occupied the remaining positions.
Tesla placed 2 of its 4 models available in 2022, in the top 10 ranking. The Tesla Model Y was the world’s third best-selling passenger vehicle in 2022 – only behind traditional super-sellers, the Toyota RAV4, and Toyota Corolla/Levin sedan.
| Model | Units | vs 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 747,500 | +91% |
| Tesla Model 3 | 482,200 | -3% |
| Wuling Hongguang Mini EV | 443,400 | +14% |
| BYD Dolphin | 205,200 | +916% |
| BYD Yuan Plus/Atto 3 | 180,600 | New |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 175,600 | +53% |
| BYD Qin | 163,400 | +109% |
| GAC Aion Y | 119,800 | +282% |
| GAC Aion S/IA5 | 117,000 | +53% |
| BYD Han | 116,500 | +48% |
China led the way as the world’s largest market in terms of volume, accounting for 53% of global sales – a significant margin more than the country’s share of overall global light vehicle sales at 32%.
In 2022, the fastest-growing OEM was BYD. BYD followed Tesla as the world’s second best-selling BEV manufacturer, with a volume increase of 184%, to more than 911,000 units in 2022. BYD occupies four cars in the list. Dolphin sold 205,000, ATTO 3 180,000, Qin 163,000, and Han 116,000. These four models accounted for 71% of BYD’s total BEV sales in 2022.
The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV microcar which has become the benchmark of electric cars in China, the largest EV market in the world, pushed its parent company SAIC to become the world’s third-largest BEV manufacturer in 2022, with 0.67 million BEVs sold. Wuling is a Sino-US joint venture company in which GM owns 44% of the shares, and two Chinese shareholders (SAIC and Guangxi Motor) own 56%. Similarly, Aion is a brand of Chinese automaker GAC that focuses on EVs. Aion focuses on affordable prices and spacious and comfortable interiors.
The growth of China’s OEMs is also being felt in emerging markets where their market share jumped from 4.8% in 2021 to 6.4% last year. While this remains a relatively small percentage, China’s manufacturers have been successful in taking market share away from European and Korean carmakers. In regions like Eurasia, the market share of China’s OEMs more than doubled, increasing from 6.2% in 2021 to 12.8% in 2022.
For OEMs like Suzuki, Mahindra, and Tata, increased demand in India meant their volumes also accelerated.
