Those in the market for a luxury car are turning to Tesla more often than traditional luxury brands, at least in the first five months of 2022. It’s no secret that Tesla sales rank high in the EV industry, but Tesla currently dominates the entire luxury vehicle market. So how big is the car brand’s lead, and which Tesla models are most popular? 

Tesla’s 2022 sales figures 

Many U.S. automakers are struggling to maintain production rates due to shortages, workforce reductions, and rising inflation. But Tesla’s new U.S. car registrations, used as a metric to show monthly deliveries, rose 66 percent, reaching 179,574 vehicles so far this year based on the number of new registrations according to CarScoops. 

Moreover, Tesla continues adding to those numbers in the final month of Q2, as Tesla hints that “June 2022 was the highest vehicle production month in Tesla’s history.” Still, since the car brand does not release monthly sales numbers, there’s no way to know how many cars they produced in June or the last record number.

This luxury EV automaker crushes its competition

As Tesla’s car deliveries continue to rise, other luxury automakers’ deliveries are declining due to various factors, including rising inflation, part shortages, and massive worker shortages. The same CarScoops article reports that compared to 2021, BMW’s new U.S. car registrations fell by 11 percent over the first five months of 2022, with 133,209 new registrations. 

Lexus and Mercedes-Benz also saw decreasing new car registrations over the same period compared to the previous year. Lexus had 112,296 new U.S. registrations, a 19 percent decrease, and Mercedes-Benz dropped 17 percent with 110,584 new registrations. 

Audi took the biggest hit with only 67,986 new registrations, a 35 percent decrease from 2021 values. While these numbers are relevant to the luxury car landscape, they include EVs, hybrids, and traditional gasoline-powered models lumped together. 

When comparing luxury EV new car registrations, Audi rises to second place behind Tesla with 6,617 new EV registrations in the United States. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz round out the top four luxury EV brands, with Porsche’s 3,627 new registrations and Mercedes-Benz’s 3,250.

Tesla’s most popular model

Data from INSIDEEVs indicates the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are Tesla’s best-selling models in 2022, with a 40 percent increase in deliveries over the first half of last year. Tesla combines the Model 3/Model Y data as they share a platform, with the main difference being the Model 3 is a sedan, and the Model Y is a crossover-type hatchback. 

Also, the Model 3 is $19,000 cheaper, has a slightly higher top speed, is a little quicker to 60 mph, and delivers more range, but the Model Y is larger and offers more room inside for passengers and cargo.

The Model 3 sedan is a perfect fit for those drivers desiring an EV for their daily commute, whereas the Model Y is a better choice for a family EV with its SUV-like passenger and cargo space.