After topping the global sales charts in 2023 and 2024, the Tesla Model Y may have managed to repeat the feat in 2025 as well, once again becoming the world’s best-selling car. Elon Musk has made this claim, although no official data supports it yet. That the Model Y could compete for the top spot is far from unlikely. The electric SUV already made history over the past two years as the first battery-electric vehicle to lead global sales rankings. For 2025, however, the picture looks less clear-cut.
Tesla Model Y claims the crown, but doubts remain
Analysts have not yet released their final reports, but early estimates based on the first three quarters and year-end projections suggest a different outcome. According to several preliminary analyses, the title of the world’s best-selling car should return to the Toyota RAV4, with around 1.2 million registrations.
Right behind it, the Toyota Corolla would rank second at roughly 1.08 million units, while the Tesla Model Y would close the year in third place with about 1.03 million vehicles delivered. If these figures hold, they would also mark a noticeable decline for Tesla’s SUV, with sales down by around 12.7 percent compared with 2024.
Several factors help explain this trend. In the first months of the year, the brand went through a particularly challenging period. Elon Musk’s political positions and a series of controversial statements clearly affected Tesla’s image, weighing on demand in several markets. At the same time, the Model Y facelift played a role. The update introduced at the beginning of the year inevitably slowed sales during the transition phase between the outgoing and the new version.
That said, given the difficulties Tesla faced throughout 2025, a third-place finish worldwide would still represent a solid result. After a slower-than-expected start, the updated Model Y has begun to generate stronger volumes again, helped by the introduction of more affordable variants designed to broaden its customer base.
Another recurring element in Tesla’s commercial strategy should not be overlooked: the sharp increase in deliveries during the final weeks of each quarter. As seen in the past, December’s end-of-quarter push may have reshuffled the deck, keeping the door open for a last-minute surprise.
To know whether Elon Musk’s claim proves correct, however, we will have to wait for the official numbers. Only then will it be possible to determine whether the Model Y has truly secured a third consecutive crown or if the throne has returned, once again, to Toyota.
