The Tesla Model Y became the first electric vehicle to become the bestselling vehicle in Europe last year, though the sales chart for the continent has painted a rather different picture as of May 2024, with the EV model having dropped from the European top spot in May 2023 to 18th place a year later, reported CarScoops citing data from Dataforce.

According to this data, the Tesla Model Y attained sales of 10,582 units in May this year, or a 49% drop compared to the same month last year. The report cited the removal of state subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles, as well as a strike in Sweden as factors in the EV’s drop in sales.

With the Tesla Model Y having vacated the top spot on the European sales chart, the market lead is currently held by Volkswagen with a pair of internal combustion-powered models, the T-Roc, with 19,748 units sold, followed closely by the Mk8.5 Golf, with 19,333 units.

The data has yet to be ratified, and Automotive News Europe indicates that the historically best-selling car on the continent could overtake the T-Roc for the top spot. The T-Roc facelift made its debut in November 2021, four years on since the MQB-based model was unveiled in 2021.

The Volkswagen Golf Mk8.5 facelift was unveiled in January this year with styling and technical updates, including the return of physical buttons for the multi-function steering wheel controls following criticism from owners and testers.

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