Top 10 Best-Selling Electric Cars in The World (2022)

Best-Selling Electric Cars in The World (2022): Tesla Model Y

Global electric vehicle sales have grown by leaps and bounds in the past five years, increasing from 2 million in 2018 to more than 10 million in 2022, with market share rising from 2.5 percent to 14 percent; the EV percentage in the overall car market is increasing, particularly in China and some European countries.

The global electric vehicle market set a series of sales records in the final months of 2022, especially December, when more than 1.2 million vehicles were sold worldwide, helping full-year sales cross the 10 million thresholds for the first time; the pure electric vehicles (up 57% YoY) grew faster than plug-in hybrids (up 46% YoY), accounting for 72% of all EVs sold.

In 2022, the Tesla Model Y overtook its sibling, the Model 3, to take the top spot with 786,000 units sold. This marks the first time the Model Y has taken the world's best-selling electric vehicle title. In addition, it also ranks among the top five best-selling cars in the world, ranking fourth. Such aggressive sales of the Model Y make one wonder whether it will overtake Toyota's Corolla and become the world's best-selling car by this year.

Second place was just as surprising, with the BYD Song (including BEVs and PHEVs) beating Tesla's Model 3 by a narrow margin (758 units). Notably, the Model 3 not only lost ground to the BYD Song but also lost market share, from 14% in 2019 to 4.7%.

Top 10 Best-Selling Electric Cars in The World (Global Sales by 2022)
Rank	Model	Units Sold
#1	Tesla Model YCompact SUV	786,000BEV
#2	BYD SongCompact SUV	477,094BEV+PHEV
#3	Tesla Model 3Compact car	596,000BEV
#4	Wuling Hongguang Mini EVSmall/city car	424,031BEV
#5	BYD Qin PlusCompact sedan	315,216BEV+PHEV
#6	BYD HanMid-size sedan	237,323BEV+PHEV
#7	BYD DolphinSubcompact hatchback	205,238BEV
#8	BYD Yuan Plus/Atto 3Compact SUV	201,744BEV
#9	Volkswagen ID.4Compact SUV	174,092BEV
#10	BYD TangCompact SUV	151,141BEV+PHEV

The Wuling Hongguang MINI EV dropped out of the top three in 2022 (it has yet to achieve its goal of beating Model 3 in an annual race). After two years of rapid sales growth, the small electric car is a weak market contender, ranking fourth in its segment.

It's worth noting that nine of the TOP 20 best-selling EVs for 2022 are newcomers to the list, which demonstrates that the current EV market is very volatile and diverse.