Tesla outsells Audi globally, despite both brands

Audi sales fall 12% to 1.67 million, but Tesla shifts to 1.79 million electric vehicles

Tesla’s decade of sales growth ends in 2024, but the American automaker still managed to make at least a chunk of money. Despite the decline, Tesla still outsold high-end rival Audi.

The Volkswagen luxury brand will have 1.67 million vehicles in 2024, a figure that fell by 12% compared to the previous year. Tesla’s sales also fell, but only by 1.1% to 1.79 million units, ahead of the German automaker, Bloomberg reported.

Tesla’s four models beat out Audi’s massive arsenal

Tesla’s achievements are remarkable for several reasons. One is that it only sells electric cars, but it sells more than Audi sells electric, hybrid and combustion models combined. Another reason is that Tesla only has four model lines (five if you include the Cybertruck, but it’s only sold in the U.S. and Canada right now) and none of its global products are new, despite the Model 3 At least the facelift comes in time to impact 2024 sales figures. By contrast, Audi has dozens of different model line and body style combinations.

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Audi bosses will be particularly disappointed by the news given the success it enjoyed a year ago. Audi sold 1.9 cars in 2023, its best result since 2017 and helping it reverse three consecutive years of declining sales. Tesla, on the other hand, has been growing steadily throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, reaching an incredible peak in 2023 when its Model Y SUV became the best-selling car in the world.

Audi and Tesla sales

Bloomberg noted that Audi’s sales fell in large markets such as Germany, China and North America. Overall, German luxury brands have been hit double-whammy by a sharp drop in demand from China due to growing local competition and the removal of subsidies for electric vehicles in major European countries. But with Audi’s EV sales down just 8% and overall registrations down 12%, it’s unfair to put all the blame on its electric lineup.

Will Fresh Auto (and China’s Audi) help in 2025?

Maybe the arrival of some new metal will make 2025 an even more successful year. The old combustion model A4 has now been replaced by the (A5), and the electric version of the A4 (named after the A4) is also about to be launched. Audi also launched the A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron electric sedans, station wagons and SUVs.

Audi’s new brand introduction to China (all capital letters and no four-ring logo) is also to help it enter the world’s largest car market. As a joint venture with SAIC, the company plans to launch three midsize and full-size electric vehicles starting in mid-2025, which were previewed by the E concept last November.