The Model 3 on show in UK and Australia's fellow RHD drive market, Hong Kong. Credit: Bridie Schmidt
The Tesla Model 3 is now officially the best-selling electric car in the US, with sales of the all-electric sedan topping all previous sales of former EV favourite, the Chevrolet Bolt.
With the Model 3 now accounting for 13.8% per cent of all EV sales in the US, it is 0.8% in front of the Volt, and has tallied 163,979 units sold compared to Volt’s 154,664 according to EV Adoption figures published yesterday (US time).
The Tesla Model S follows the Model 3 and Volt in an third most popular EV of all time, with 147,517 sold. This is followed by the Nissan Leaf which has sold 133,227 according to EV Adoption’s figures, making up a third of the Leaf’s total 400,000 sales globally.
All in all Tesla electric cars account for nearly a third of all electric cars sold in the US, which is one of the world’s strongest EV markets thanks to a goal of 1 million EVs on the road set by former US president Barack Obama in 2011 and the work of carmakers such as General Motors (Chevrolet), Nissan and of course Tesla.
This is nearly twice as many EVs sold in the US as have been sold by General Motors, and three times as many as Nissan.
Overall, Tesla and General Motors account for half of the entire US EV market.
Globally, Tesla is continuing its expansion of the best-selling Model 3 into overseas markets, having recently commenced deliveries in Europe and China.
On Saturday (Australian time), Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk confirmed that UK residents will be able to begin configuring and ordering Model 3 in a few weeks’ time, with deliveries slated to start in June or July.
Responding to a Tweep about an update for the UK, the entrepreneur tweeted, “LHD order page should be live within a few weeks. Deliveries start hopefully June/July.”
The mistaken LHD (the UK being a right hand drive market the same as Australia) was then corrected with an, “Ahem RHD.”
It is expected that once released onto the UK market, Tesla will then commence shipments of the Model 3 to Australia
Last month, Elon Musk replied to an Australian EV driver that the Model 3 would reach Australia this winter.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.
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