Get to know: 2021’s best-selling EVs so far

The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has been reported to be the world’s best-selling EV so far in 2021 , overtaking the Tesla Model 3, according to the reputable electric vehicle (EV) industry news source the EV Sales blog.اضافة اعلان

China is the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, with more than 54 percent of the world’s sales of electric cars in 2020. The choices of Chinese consumers heavily influence the global ranking of electric vehicles.

The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is a tiny-budget EV manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile (SGMW), a joint venture between the Chinese auto giant SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Wuling Motors. It has managed to sell 32,000 units in January, compared to 21,500 units of Tesla’s Model 3, despite the strong demand for Model 3s in the Chinese market.

The small city car, offering seating for four, has made major headway in sales since it was launched last July in its domestic market, achieving 160,000 units sold in the seven months by the end of January. Higher sales numbers are expected once exports commence in the first quarter of this year, as per the manufacturer’s plans.

The obvious reason for the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV’s stellar success is the extremely competitive price of between $4,450 and $6,000. This is a fraction of the price when compared to Tesla’s “cheapest” Model 3, which starts around $24,000.


The Tesla Model Y (Photo: Tesla)

Chinese customers also prefer the other Tesla model, the Model Y, which was the third-most selling model, with 9,597 units sold in January. All the other top-selling EVs were Chinese EV models.


The BYD Han EV (Photo: BYD)

The BYD Han EV, a popular sedan, sold 9,298 units, followed by Great Wall’s Ora Black Cat, a city mini car, and GAC Aion S, a sedan, both selling 6,092 units.