Electric cars boom in Europe with MG overtaking Jeep and Mini

Sales of electric cars soared in Europe in August leading MG to overtake brands such as Jeep and Mini, latest data shows.

BEV (battery electric vehicles) registrations more than doubled during the month

, Jato Dynamics said, while the overall market grew by 20 per cent on August 2022.

Although the volume of electric cars jumped by 102 per cent and petrol grew by a more modest 11 per cent, petrols still accounted for more than half of the market at 53 per cent.

Belgium (+224 per cent), Greece (+183 per cent), Luxembourg (+164 per cent) and Portugal (+164 per cent) posted the strongest growth in EV registrations, with Chinese models booming.

MG secured the second largest growth in market share between August 2022 and August 2023, behind Tesla whose BEV market share jumped by 7.1 per cent to 17.3 per cent.

Jato said the Chinese-owned British brand is now just outside the top 20 of European car sales in 21st place, outselling the likes of Jeep, Mazda, Mini and Suzuki.

In the BEV market, MG registered more cars than Audi, Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault or Skoda.

MG’s volume made up 69 per cent of a total of 197,800 units registered by Chinese car brands through August.

Jato’s figures also show that the ongoing success of Tesla and the rise of MG is impacting brands such as Ford, Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis, and Volkswagen.

The firm said Stellantis needed more electric models as sales of diesels continued to slide, while the roll-out of new EVs from Volkswagen and Hyundai-Kia is not ‘keeping pace with the market average’.

Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best-selling car in August and is on course to become 2023’s best-seller overall.

Felipe Munoz, global analyst at Jato Dynamics, said: ‘Although the current industry debates often point towards a slowdown in growth for BEVs, our data shows that growth in demand remains strong, due to their increasingly competitive pricing, and continuous support from governments across Europe.’

He added: ‘Multiple factors have led to this growth in demand for Tesla vehicles. However, most significantly, the recent price cuts of the Model 3 and Y have helped it keep momentum, despite a limited and somewhat outdated line-up.

‘The question now is how European competitors will remain competitive and produce equally affordable BEVs.’

Best-selling models in Europe, August 2023

Source: Jato Dynamics

1. Tesla Model Y – 21,549 units, +208%

2. Peugeot 208 – 15,840 units, +4%

3. Volkswagen T-Roc – 15,198 units, -7%

4. Fiat/Abarth 500 – 14,469 units, +4%

5. Dacia Sandero – 14,428 units, -2%

6. Volkswagen Golf – 13,760 units, +11%

7. Opel/Vauxhall Corsa – 13,342 units, +11%

8. Renault Clio – 12,865 units, +145%

9. Citroen C3 – 12,111 units, +1%

10. Tesla Model 3 – 11,943 units +307