While the Ford F-150 has long reigned supreme in American hearts, the Tesla Model Y is the new global king of the road.
The Ford F-150 being America’s top-selling vehicle is a narrative deeply ingrained in the U.S. automotive culture; however, the global perspective tells a markedly different story. A good example of that is the fact that the Tesla Model Y clinched the title of the world’s most-produced vehicle in 2023, effectively beating well-known cars like the Ford trucks and the Toyota RAV4.
Indeed, French data analytics firm Inovev reports that Tesla manufactured an astonishing 1,137,885 units of the Model Y, eclipsing the production numbers of the long-revered Ford F-Series trucks and the Toyota RAV4, which tallied at 933,198 and 989,517 units, respectively — not a small feat for a manufacturer that barely even existed only a little more than a decade ago.
The list of the top ten cars made also included names like the Toyota Corolla (869,228), Honda CR-V (679,832), and Ram Trucks (651,581). Tesla’s Model 3 got into the top ten, too, with 636,519 units made, showing how major Tesla has become in the car world.
Of course, I can already hear you say, “Yeah, but it’s not just about how many cars were made; it’s how many were actually sold.” Well, the Model Y was also the best-selling model worldwide in 2023, with around 1.23 million sold.
Still, while Tesla might be doing well at the moment, despite the recent slowdown in sales, there’s much more to the story. For instance, Chinese carmaker BYD produced over 3 million vehicles last year, which is almost twice as much as Tesla. BYD does offer significantly more models and variants, including cheaper ones, but since they’re not sold in the U.S. yet, it’s hard to compare them directly. But even looking only at electric cars, BYD owns a big share of the Chinese market, with 25% compared to Tesla’s 15%.
Put simply, while the U.S. has been fixated on its love affair with big trucks, the rest of the world is moving on. Tesla, with its electric crown jewel, the Model Y, at the forefront, is leading this charge and legacy American carmakers seem to be playing catch-up in the global race toward electrification
The electric revolution is here, and as the world leans into this shift, it’s time for the U.S. to decide whether to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
