The underdog brand now leads the race among luxury cars. For the first time in history, Tesla has taken a lead in US luxury car sales and dethrones BMW. This marks an important milestone in the history of electric cars.
BMW’s three-year streak ended with Tesla’s resurgence — a feat achieved despite issues plaguing Tesla cars and various revelations by VIN check reports, regulatory agencies, and consumer watchdogs.
2022 may not have been the best year for cars. Annual total sales hit a record low below 14 million units. There was a steep decline in sold cars across the board. But Tesla defied the odds by adding 40% more to 2021 total sales, according to Automotive News. The majority of these are Model 3 and Model Y units.
With 491,000 sold versus BMW’s 332,388 — a wide margin of 32%! — Tesla is poised to turn the US automotive scene upside down in the coming years.
Tesla Is Bigger Than Ever!
Owing to its late entry into the oversaturated market, Tesla had barely made a dent in the automotive industry in the past. Global demands were hardly met, and the company struggled to make a name for itself in the face of more established brands.
We can safely put that behind the past now since Tesla has risen up through the ranks. Now a recognized brand and logo worldwide and totally different from before! Their production output has increased significantly thanks to the addition of two new facilities in Texas and in Germany.
In total, Tesla has five Gigafactories with certain sets of responsibilities:
- Giga Nevada is assigned for the production of battery packs and energy-storage products
- Giga New York is entrusted with the production of battery packs and solar panels
- Giga Texas serves as the company HQ and main manufacturing plant
- Giga Berlin is responsible for creating batteries, powertrains, and Model Y production
- Giga Shanghai churns out Model Y and Model 3 units
Tesla Relative To Other Luxury Brands
BMW is relegated to the second spot but still managed to keep itself ahead of Mercedes Benz. They were closely followed by Lexus, then by Audi with a much lower figure. Cadillac is not far behind Audi regarding sales.
| Brand | 2021 Annual Sales |
| Tesla | 491,000 |
| BMW | 332,388 |
| Mercedez Benz | 286,764 |
| Lexus | 258,704 |
| Audi | 186,875 |
| Cadillac | 134,726 |
While the growing sales suggest the growing trust of consumers regarding the quality and performance of Tesla models, let’s not forget that specific conditions may vary significantly per vehicle. This is true whichever make and model you choose. Read the vehicle history reports of used cars you plan to buy to avoid missing critical details.
