Tesla Model 3 is first EV to top European sales

The Tesla Model 3 was the top selling car in Europe last month and in New Zealand. Photo: Andrei Diomidov Photography

The Tesla Model 3 was the top-selling vehicle in Europe last month, the first time a full-electric car has outsold rival models with combustion engines.

At 24,591 cars registered in September, the Model 3 recorded year-on-year growth of 58 percent. The second bestseller was the Renault Clio followed by the Dacia Sandero and then the Volkswagen Golf, according to JATO Dynamics.

The Model 3's performance partly reflects "Tesla's intensive end-of-quarter sales push", the research company said in a report.

Taking the monthly sales crown is a major milestone for EVs and another sign that the automotive industry is accelerating its pivot away from the combustion engine.

Governments are offering generous incentives to entice buyers to trade in combustion-engine cars, with full-electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles accounting for 23 percent of the market in September, a near doubling from 2020, according to Europe Automotive News.

In New Zealand, the Model 3 was the selling passenger car last month, and looks set to continue this trend.