Tesla's European sales surged last month, indicating that the electric vehicle maker led by Elon Musk continues to expand its market influence in Europe, while Chinese competitors are also growing strongly in the region.
Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), an industry body, shows that new vehicle registrations of Tesla models, a sales indicator, jumped 72.5% year-on-year in September to 68,776 units, covering the European Union, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
The growth rate last month accelerated significantly from a mere 4% increase in August; August is typically a slow season for vehicle registrations because many dealerships in Europe close for the summer holiday.
Thanks to their relatively low-priced electric and hybrid vehicle lineups, Chinese automakers have risen rapidly in Europe in recent years. ACEA said Byd Company Limited (002594) registrations surged nearly 99% last month to 49,953 units. SAIC Motor registrations grew nearly 24% to 41,987 units; Leapmotor registrations increased to 14,594 units, more than quadrupling.
In comparison, Germany's Volkswagen saw sales decline 2.9% to 308,474 units; Renault sales fell 0.7% to 114,726 units.
Tesla's growth comes as the company seeks approval for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in the European Union. In April, the Netherlands became the first EU country to approve the system, which can help drivers change lanes and navigate around other vehicles and objects.
According to Tesla's website, FSD does not make vehicles fully autonomous and should only be used when the driver maintains full attention at all times. Since then, several EU member states, including Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark, have recognized the Netherlands' approval decision, allowing Tesla to launch FSD in those countries; meanwhile, EU authorities are reviewing an application submitted by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority aimed at making FSD available across the EU.
Europe's pure electric vehicle market grew nearly 60% last month. Hybrid vehicle registrations increased 5.3%, and plug-in hybrid model registrations rose 24%. ACEA said overall monthly passenger car registrations in Europe grew 10%, with the EU up 9.3%; Germany sales rose 9%, France rose 12%, and Italy rose 9.8%.
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