Electric Vehicles

Tesla sold quarter of all global electric vehicle market in 2020

Published by

The Driven

Tesla sold almost one quarter of all the electric vehicles worldwide in 2020, retaining its place as the global market leader, and will likely hold the upper hand for 2021.

Claiming 23% of the entire battery-electric car market, and 16% of the entire plug-in market (which includes battery electric vehicles – BEVs – and plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs), Tesla outdid fellow electric heavyweights Volkswagen and Chinese-owned SAIC on both fronts.

While Tesla only barely missed its own 2020 sales target of 500,000 in what was a challenging year for the auto market at large, it outsold both the challengers two-to-one according to figures compiled by EV Sales’

With its Model 3 now well established in domestic and overseas markets and output from its Shanghai factory a good 12 months into production, Tesla also released its Model Y electric crossover onto the local US market.

The results underline the stronghold Tesla continues to have on the global EV market without spending a cent on advertising, which other carmakers must now double-down on if they are to catch up (case in point: GM’s anti-Norway Super Bowl advertising campaign).

To read the full version of this story, please go to our EV-focussed sister site, The Driven and click here…

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

Bridie Schmidt

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

Chinese solar company manager accused of offering bribe to secure approval for PV panels, refused bail

A manager with a Chinese solar panel supplier appears in court on charges of attempting…

5 August 2026

First of dozens of 80 metre-long turbine blades arrives at first new wind farm in state’s main grid for years

Nearly five months after completing its final concrete pour, King Rocks wind farm has received…

5 August 2026

Bowen says coal “isn’t baseload anymore, it’s unreliable,” will stop states pushing gas for data centres

Bowen says data centres could rescue stalled renewables as he warns coal-fired power stations are…

5 August 2026

Aldi Solar heads west as it expands its PV and home battery offer across Australia

Super-affordable solar and battery offer from the German discount supermarket chain has now been extended…

5 August 2026

Mid-winter solar records tumble around the country, with more batteries to soak it up

Large-scale solar generated record high shares of electricity in every Australian state but one over…

5 August 2026

Big solar and battery project gets planning approval, on condition it paves road to minimise dust

Independent panel receives 19 new submissions on solar and battery project, but cancelled a scheduled…

5 August 2026