More and more people are making the switch to an electric vehicle. As the effects of climate change continue to impact communities around the world, consumers are making a concerted effort to find affordable and eco-friendly vehicles. And it’s the Volkswagen ID.4 that’s leading the charge in Europe.
According to January 2025 sales numbers from JATO Dynamics, the Volkswagen ID.4 outsold the Tesla Model Y in Europe by a fairly wide margin. With 7,177 units sold in January, the Volkswagen ID.4 saw nearly a 200% increase in sales compared to January 2024.
On the flipside, the Tesla Model Y sold 6,115 units in January 2025, which is nearly a 50% decrease from the year before. Outside of the publicity hit that Tesla has taken in recent months, another possible reason for the emergence of the Volkswagen ID.4 is the price, which comes in at just under $40,000. That’s around $3,000 cheaper than the Tesla Model Y.
Regardless of which electric vehicle consumers are choosing, EV sales continue to climb across the globe. Over 17 million EVs were sold in 2024, including nearly 2 million units in North America.
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester offered up a possible explanation for the recent EV boom across the globe. “What is clear is that government carrots and sticks are working,” Lester said. “In North America, the 9% growth can mostly be attributed to consumer subsidies and over in the UK, the ZEV mandate has highly incentivised manufacturers to push their low-emission cars.”
Not every region saw EV sales increase, though. As a whole, overall EV sales in Europe were down 3% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Lester attributes the decline to a reversal of specific policies: “Meanwhile the removal of subsidies in Germany had a devastating impact on the whole European market, if the US follows suit, we may see the same there.”
In general, electric vehicles create less pollution than internal combustion engine vehicles. While it’s true that lithium mining for EV batteries can create significant carbon pollution, the impact is still drastically less than pollution from fossil fuels.
If you’d like to switch to an electric vehicle, we offer a simple guide to help you make your eco-friendly purchase.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
