Tesla Model Y Confirmed as World's Best-Selling Car for Third Consecutive Year

Tesla China announced on March 18 that its Model Y crossover has topped global passenger car sales for 2025, extending a streak that began in 2023.

The company cited data from three independent research firms: JATO Dynamics for 2023, Statista for 2024, and Focus2Move for 2025.

Cumulative deliveries of the Model Y have now passed 4 million units worldwide.

The announcement, posted on the Weibo social media platform, stated that the Model Y has outperformed every competing vehicle powered by fossil fuel, electricity, or hybrid systems across those three years.

Tesla produced 1,654,667 vehicles globally in 2025 and delivered 1,636,129 units, according to figures the company released earlier.

Giga Shanghai alone accounted for 851,732 vehicles, or 52% of total output.

In China, the Model Y's largest single market, wholesale volume including exports reached 538,994 units last year, a decline of 3.18% from 2024.

Retail sales within the country totaled 425,337 units, down 34.44% year over year and representing 67.98% of Tesla's local sales.

Despite the drop, the vehicle continued to lead in key segments even after the introduction of a refreshed "Juniper" version early in 2025.

The Model Y first claimed the global sales crown in 2023, becoming the first battery-electric vehicle to surpass long-established internal-combustion models such as the Toyota Corolla and RAV4.

It held the position through 2024 and now 2025, according to the cited research providers.

Statista data for 2025 shows the Model Y at approximately 990,000 units, narrowly ahead of the Toyota Corolla at 980,000 and the Ford F-Series at 970,000.

Credit: XFreeze/X

The confirmation arrives amid intensifying competition in China, where Tesla has extended financing offers and adjusted pricing in response to local rivals.

February 2026 retail sales in the country rebounded sharply, with Model Y deliveries rising 215.84% year over year to 25,286 units.

Tesla has not released a full regional breakdown of 2025 Model Y deliveries beyond the China figures, but the company maintains that the crossover outsold every other passenger vehicle model on the planet for the third year in succession.