Tesla Was the Bestselling Luxury Brand in 2022

Tesla was the bestselling luxury brand in the U.S. last year, according to new data reported by Automotive News.Based on Experian data on new vehicle registrations, 484,351 Teslas were tagged in 2022 (up 41 percent from the year before).Tesla beat out BMW—the previous luxury sales champ—by a massive margin of more than 156K registrations.

BMW no longer holds the title of the bestselling luxury brand in America. The crown now belongs to Tesla for the first time. The company achieved this milestone after a big surge of new vehicle registrations in 2022, based on new data reported by Automotive News.

While it’s fair to argue whether Tesla qualifies as a true luxury automaker alongside the likes of more prominent brands such as Audi and Lexus, the price range of the company’s lineup appears to justify that categorization more than anything else. Despite Tesla’s quality-control woes and the Model 3 and Model Y’s—er—austere interiors, the Model S and Model X each can get into six-figure territory.

Tesla Takes the Title

As most people know, Tesla only makes electric vehicles. Still, the 484,351 new models registered last year were more than all other luxury automakers, including their electric and gas-powered offerings. That amount represents a 41-percent jump in Tesla registrations compared with 2021.

Before the amount of Tesla registrations exploded last year, BMW was the reigning luxury sales champ. However, not only did Tesla have 156,422 more registrations in 2022, but BMW also saw its numbers drop by 5.3 percent from the year prior to 327,929. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz finished third with 269,511 new registrations last year, but AN reports that amount barely changed versus 2021.

The data on new vehicle registrations that identifies the bestselling luxury automaker comes from Experian. It’s used to because Tesla notoriously doesn’t separate U.S. sales from the amount the company sells globally. That’s why new registrations are considered the best way to compare the market.

This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.