Doubts Emerge Over Tesla Model Y Best-Selling Status in 2025

Elon Musk says Tesla Model Y is the world’s best-selling car in 2025, but independent analysts cited by Electrek question the claim. Read the details.

Elon Musk is closing out 2025 by doubling down on a familiar claim: according to the Tesla CEO, the Model Y remains the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row. Available data, however, suggests that this narrative no longer aligns with reality.

Historically, Musk’s statement is not without precedent. In 2023, the Model Y genuinely made history as the first electric vehicle to top global sales rankings. In 2024, the situation became far less clear-cut, with the Model Y and the Toyota RAV4 finishing in a near statistical tie, separated by only a few thousand units depending on the analyst.

For 2025, the picture appears to have shifted more decisively. While fully validated global registration data will not be consolidated for several months, interim figures from independent tracking sources already point to a different outcome. Analysts monitoring vehicle registrations across more than 160 countries indicate that Toyota has likely reclaimed the top position.

Current projections place the Toyota RAV4 firmly in first place worldwide, with annual volumes tracking at roughly 1.2 million units. The Toyota Corolla is expected to follow in second. The Tesla Model Y, despite remaining highly competitive, is projected to fall to third place, reflecting a notable year-over-year decline in global volume.

A major obstacle in verifying Musk’s claim lies in Tesla’s own reporting practices. Unlike most large automakers, Tesla does not disclose model-specific sales figures. Instead, it reports combined deliveries for Model 3 and Model Y, forcing analysts to reconstruct Model Y volumes using registration data from dozens of individual markets.

This lack of transparency creates space for bold declarations long before they can be conclusively confirmed or disproven. Still, even without holding the top spot, the Model Y’s performance remains remarkable. A relatively expensive, fully electric crossover continues to compete directly with far more affordable gasoline and hybrid vehicles, while maintaining its position as the world’s best-selling electric car.

Definitive conclusions about 2025 will only be possible once global registration data is fully compiled. Until then, the battle for the crown remains largely settled in the data—but not yet in official headlines.