Tesla knocked off throne as most popular EV brand in Europe
Tesla sold 238,765 new models in Europe last year. That’s down 27% from 2024. The controversial behavior of Tesla boss Elon Musk has not helped the brand’s image, but increasing competition plays an equally large role in Tesla’s declining sales. Volkswagen takes over the lead with 274,417 electric cars sold due to strong sales growth of 56%. This makes Volkswagen not only the overall best-selling car brand in Europe in 2025, but also the largest EV brand for the first time.
BMW is Europe’s third largest EV brand with 193,186 models sold, good a 15% increase. Skoda is perhaps the biggest surprise. Thanks to the very popular Skoda Elroq – the best-selling car in the Netherlands in 2025 – Skoda’s European electric sales rose a whopping 117% to 172,100 models. Audi completes the top five with 153,848 EVs sold and 51% growth.
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Top 5 best-selling EV brands in Europe in 2025
- Volkswagen – 274,417 (+56%)
- Tesla – 238,765 (-27%)
- BMW – 193,186 (+15%)
- Skoda – 172,100 (+117%)
- Audi – 153,848 (+51%)
Tesla Model Y continues to be loved
The 2025 sales figures show that the most popular EV brand does not automatically deliver the most popular model. This is because some models are sold exceptionally large numbers of some models. For example, Tesla is no longer Europe’s biggest EV brand in aggregate, but virtually all sales are accounted for by just two models: the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, the numbers one and three in the list of best-selling electric cars. Of the Skoda Elroq, 94,106 units were delivered in 12 months, good for second place.
Volkswagen may have sold the most EVs overall in 2025, but it also has a broader model lineup. The most popular electric Volkswagen is “only” in fifth place. The new Renault 5 ranks fourth among best-selling electric models in Europe, but Renault as a brand does not appear in the top five. Audi does, while not enough of any Audi model have been sold for a top-ten listing. Thus, the breadth of the electric model range in different segments greatly affects overall sales by car brand.
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Top 10 best-selling EVs in Europe in 2025
- Tesla Model Y – 151,331 (-28%)
- Skoda Elroq – 94,106 (+204%)
- Tesla Model 3 – 86,261 (-24%)
- Renault 5 – 81,517 (+522%)
- Volkswagen ID.4 – 80,123 (+24%)
- Volkswagen ID.3 – 78,667 (+44%)
- Volkswagen ID.7 – 76,368 (+137%)
- BMW iX1 – 69,816 (+31%)
- Kia EV3 – 66,802 (+1.247%)
- Skoda Enyaq – 65,787 (-2%)
European EV market grows solidly
Apart from the shifts between makes and models, the market as a whole shows especially strong development. A total of 2,582,595 new electric cars were sold in Europe in 2025. That is almost 30% more than in 2024. Electric driving thus continues to gain solid ground, while competition between manufacturers is becoming increasingly fierce.
