Say what you will about Tesla, it’s production issues, the frequent controversies that surround it: the cars are good. And that’s not what I am saying. No sir. It would appear to be the general consensus in the US, where Model 3 is rapidly becoming one of the best selling sedans.
The Model 3 already hold the titles of best-selling electric car and the best-selling luxury car. However, in both of these categories it had something of an advantage — for example,Tesla pretty much reinvented the electric car niche with Model 3 and friends. When it comes to Sedans however, Tesla is competing against bigwigs like Mercedes, BMW etc, who have been entrenched in their positions since years.
Well, from the reports that are coming in, Tesla’s Model 3 is doing significantly better than holding its own against these car makers.
As per monthly and quarterly sales reports that have come in, for the quarter ending September, Tesla was among the top 5 car manufacturers in the US – based upon number of Sedans sold. This is perhaps the first time ever, that an electric car maker, and a relatively new one to boot, has broken into the game. Of course, this increase comes at the cost of Tesla competitors.
Mercedes sales, for instance, were down by almost 24 percent last month. BMW on the other hand, made a better showing and it’s sales were slightly up. However, the company is feeling the pressure as well.
Speaking on the topic, Bernhard Kuhnt, chief executive officer of BMW NA, told Bloomberg:
Tesla is now ramping up their volumes, and it’s putting pressure on that market segment. In that environment, I’m very, very pleased to say we were up.
What’s even more interesting, is the fact that Tesla isn’t exactly short-charging itself. It’s Sedans are definitely not inexpensive, and indeed, the most popular variant of the Model 3, is also the most expensive one — with an average selling price of $60,000. The company has promised to release cheaper variants by the year end, that will sell for almost half the price.
