U.S. automaker Tesla was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the dominant force behind the first quarter’s electric vehicle (EV) sales when sorted by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), making up a major portion of the world’s zero-emission vehicle market share.
Tesla’s first-quarter sales made up 16% of the overall EV market share, beating out companies like SAIC, Volkswagen Group, BMW Group, and Stellantis, who made the remaining top 5 spots, according to EV Sales.
Globally, Tesla sold 184,500 units in the first quarter of the year, followed by SAIC with just 145,034.
If we’re looking at battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales only, and not plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales, Tesla took 25% share in Q1 2021.
SAIC’s Wuling HongGuang Mini EV, a joint venture with General Motors and Wuling, contributed in a huge way to the company’s accomplishment of selling 13% of the overall EV market share, though the company also benefits from Chinese exports since it’s the only Chinese EV brand that exports beyond the country.
Trailing behind Tesla and SAIC in global EV sales were Volkswagen (130,563), BMW (77,873), and Stellantis (66,613), with these brands making up 12, 7, and 6 percent of the overall EV market share, respectively.
During Tesla’s recent Q1 2021 earnings, the company said its Model 3 sedan was the best selling premium car in the world.
In China’s March sales alone, SAIC’s Wuling Mini EV sold 39,745 units, with Tesla’s Model 3 selling 25,327 units and the Model Y with 10,151 units, with Tesla selling over 69,000 Model 3/Y units in China in the first quarter of the year.
