• Tesla's Model Y officially outsold the Mercedes-Benz GLC in Europe
• EVs are now as popular as diesel vehicles
• ICE sales are down to a 15% market share

It's taken a few years, but Tesla finally beat Mercedes-Benz in the sales race.

Given how quickly Tesla sales have grown over the last 12 years, it was only a matter of time. In the first quarter of 2022, Tesla sold 295,324 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. And now the unimaginable has happened in Europe. Tesla officially outsold one of the oldest manufacturers on the planet in the most hotly contested segment.

Rejoice, Tesla fanboys, for you can now rightfully claim that the Model Y is more successful than the Mercedes-Benz GLC. Since setting up shop in Berlin, demand for Tesla's midsize crossover is so huge that it might even become Europe's best-selling premium car, a title currently held by the Audi A3.

Automotive News Europe sourced sales figures from Dataforce, showing the Model Y slowly climbing the ladder since availability increased in Europe last year. "The Tesla Model Y has been very successful in the European market and it's set to grow further," said Dataforce senior automotive analyst Benjamin Kibies.

During the first six months of the year, Tesla sold 41,851 Model Ys. Even though Mercedes-Benz GLC sales are up by 12%, it still had to take second place to Tesla with 40,554 units sold. From there, it's a big dip to the BMW X3 and its total of 31,138 sales.

It's also clear that Tesla is the preferred EV brand in Europe and the States. Audi only managed to sell 11,182 Q4 e-trons and less than 10,000 standard e-trons. Tesla managed this impressive sales feat even though the Model Y was only available in two colors.

Despite the infamous Dieselgate scandal, which now includes several high-profile manufacturers, diesel sales have always been traditionally strong in Europe. Electric has now caught up with diesel, with both claiming 32% market share in this particular segment. PHEVs are in third place with 19%, while gas-powered vehicles have dropped to just 15%.

The GLC was the most popular plug-in hybrid on sale, finding 14,379 homes during the first six months of 2022. That leaves Porsche carrying the flag for traditional ICE cars, claiming the vast majority of the tiny 15% share. The brand's lack of EV and PHEV models is having an impact on sales, which is why the delay of the Macan EV and several other Volkswagen Group products cost Herbert Diess his job.