FRANKFURT -- Tesla was the top sales winner in Germany last month as traditional rivals including Mercedes-Benz and Audi saw demand plunge because of the ongoing microchip shortage.
Overall registrations for the month fell 35 percent to 178,683, according to data from the KBA motor authority.
Tesla's volume grew 483 percent as electric cars continued to gain market share in Europe's largest vehicle market. The automaker's registrations rose to 1,469.
Tesla has benefitted from exports of its Model Y crossover from China to Europe, which began in August. The company plans to build the EV in Germany at its plant near Berlin.
Volvo's EV brand, Polestar, also benefitted from Germany's boom for battery-powered cars, with am 85 percent increase in registrations.
Total EV sales rose 32 percent, resulting in a 17.1 market share for the month.
Plug-in-hybrid registrations fell 4.5 percent, resulting in a 13.3 percent share.
Diesel sales declined 57 percent for a 17.3 percent share, while gasoline vehicles fell 44 percent to give the drivetrain a 36.2 percent share.