Strong demand for the new Model 3 helped boost Tesla's June sales in Europe by more than 215%.
The Tesla, Smart and Lotus brands reported triple-digit sales percentage increases in June while 21 other brands including Jeep, BMW, Audi and Jaguar had double-digit gains, helping the overall market grow by 14 percent last month.
The positive results were helped by being compared with a big decline in June 2020, when lockdowns caused by the pandemic keep people away from dealerships and negatively effected factories throughout Europe.
Tesla increase sales 216 percent, helped by a 263 percent rise for the Model 3 that made it Europe No. 2-seller in the monthly ranking behind the Volkswagen Golf; Smart was up 115 percent thanks to a 154 percent sales gain for the ForFour; and Lotus rose 111 percent boosted by sales of the Exige sports car.
Other brands that recorded big gains last month were MG (+92 percent), Hyundai and Mazda (+52 percent), Seat (+49 percent) Jeep (+35 percent) and Aston Martin (+33 percent), according to figures from market researcher JATO Dynamics.
Models that increased sales sharply in June included the Seat Mii electric minicar (+343 percent), Hyundai Santa Fe SUV (+119 percent), and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which rose more than 80 percent to 877 sales.
The Volkswagen Golf was Europe's No. 1 seller in June, its fourth straight top finish, with a volume of 27,627.
The Golf was followed by the Model 3, with the Renault Clio rounding out the top three. The Dacia Sandero finished the month at No. 4 and the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa was fifth.
Eight of the top 10-sellers for June finished with sales gains compared with the same month last year. The exceptions where the Clio (-38 percent) and Renault Captur (-6.9 percent)
Through five months, the Golf was No. 1 with a volume of 126,551, extending its lead over Europe's previous overall leader, the Peugeot 208, to 12,370 unit from 3,670 units in May. The Golf rose to the top despite increasing sales 5.7 percent during the period compared with a 34 percent gain for the 208.
Rounding out the top five were the Yaris (111,383, up 52 percent), Renault Clio (110,641, down 7 percent) and Corsa (108,540, up 36 percent).
