EVwire brief: The Tesla Model Y was Germany's best-selling car of any kind in September 2026, knocking the Volkswagen Golf off the top spot on VW's home turf.
The win spans more than one chart. Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) named the Model Y the most registered model in the SUV segment, and it was also the country's top-selling battery-electric car. The Model 3 took the top spot in the mid-size segment, giving Tesla two of the four segments that changed leaders in September.
KBA data shows the Model Y logged 8,038 new registrations in September. That's the Model Y's best month in Germany this year, beating the 6,841 units registered in March. The Model 3 added another 4,512 registrations last month.
Here's how September's best-sellers stacked up, as per the KBA's monthly model data:
Rank | Model | Registrations | Segment |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tesla Model Y | 8,038 | SUV |
2 | VW Golf | 6,580 | Compact |
3 | VW Tiguan | 5,751 | Off-road/SUV |
4 | VW T-Roc | 5,172 | SUV |
5 | Mercedes GLC | 5,026 | SUV |
6 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,512 | Mid-size |
7 | Opel Corsa | 4,292 | Small car |
8 | Skoda Elroq | 4,182 | SUV |
9 | Mini | 4,121 | Small car |
10 | BMW X1 | 3,829 | SUV |
Source: KBA (FZ 8.3), September 2026 new passenger car registrations.
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Dethroning the Golf is a big deal in Germany. The Volkswagen hatchback has been the country's best-selling car every year since 1981, a 45-year streak it extended in 2025 with 85,023 registrations. Of course, the Model Y’s win against the Golf is just for one month, but it’s a notable accomplishment nonetheless.
The Model Y wasn't Tesla's only entry near the top, either. The Model 3 finished sixth overall, making Tesla the only non-German brand with two cars in Germany's top 10.
Overall, Tesla registered 12,552 vehicles in Germany last month, up 268.7% year over year. The EV maker now holds a 4.9% share of the country's new car market. Tesla also led all brands in battery-electric registrations, ahead of VW (9,440) and Skoda (7,673).
Tesla's registrations in Germany tend to swing with its delivery cycle, typically surging at the end of each quarter before dropping at the start of the next. The Model Y saw just 299 registrations in July and 1,426 in August before September's jump.
Year to date, the Model Y has 29,464 registrations in Germany, second only to the Skoda Elroq's 30,845 among EVs. The Model Y is also the most popular vehicle under Germany's new EV subsidy program, with 8,297 applications approved since the program launched in May, as of October 1.
Germany's EV market as a whole had a record month. A total of 88,599 new battery-electric cars were registered in September, making up 34.5% of all new passenger car registrations. BEV registrations were up about 95% year over year.
Industry watchers on X highlighted Tesla’s results in September. (H/T @RonnyGolisch on X)
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Context:
Germany has seen this before. Back in September 2022, the Model Y topped the KBA's overall rankings with 9,846 registrations, beating the Golf and becoming the first EV ever to lead Germany's new car chart.
The quarter-end pattern also played out in June this year. Tesla registered 7,768 vehicles in Germany that month, up 317.6% year over year, and its first-half total had already passed its entire 2025 volume in the country.
Giga Berlin is working hard to keep up. Plant manager André Thierig set a target of 7,500 vehicles per week by mid-October back in June, when the factory was building around 5,000. Tesla called in three extra shifts in September to close the gap, and it's raising Giga Berlin wages by up to 5% starting October 1.
Source: KBA (registrations, segment leaders), Electrive
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