The Porsche Taycan Is Outselling the Tesla Model S (and It's Not Even Close)
Alex Healey
· 2 min read
Recent sales data shows that the
Porsche Taycan
is outselling the Tesla Model S by almost two to one. In fact, between January and September 2021, the Taycan was the third best-selling Porsche worldwide.In the world of
electric cars
, the Tesla Model S has long been considered the pinnacle of luxury, but wealthy EV drivers are now turning away from Tesla, and back into the fold of a more traditional luxury brand.
Tesla shifting focus away from Model S
Between 2015 and 2017, the Tesla Model S was the best-selling electric car in the world. However, as
Jalopnik
explains, Tesla then shifted focus to the comparatively modest Model 3 and Model Y.This shift is very clear when looking at Tesla’s official sales figures. From January through September 2021, the company delivered less than 10,000 units of the Model S. In the same period, it shipped 627,350 Model 3 and Model Y cars.
The Model S received a much-publicized refresh earlier this year, but the transformation to
Model S Plaid
hasn’t translated into more sales. Of course, the main reason for this is not a lack of demand, but a shortage of parts.With the microchip shortage affecting Tesla’s production capacity, it has made the decision to funnel its limited resources into more affordable models.
At the same time, the Model S is facing increasing competition from traditional automakers who have successfully branched out into the luxury EV market.
The Porsche Taycan is dominating the luxury EV market
One such automaker is Porsche, whose first series production electric car, the Taycan, has taken the car world by storm. The Taycan’s impressive specs and sleek design have turned it into a hot seller, with Porsche shipping 28,640 Taycans so far this year.
Not only does this represent a dominant lead over the Model S, but the Taycan is also outselling the iconic Porsche 911, which sold 668 fewer units in the same period. Incredibly, Jalopnik reports that only Porsche’s SUVs, the Cayenne and Macan, are selling in higher numbers.
It remains to be seen if Tesla has forever ceded top spot in the luxury EV charts to Porsche, but one thing is for sure, with new
luxury EV manufacturers like Lucid
entering the fray, competition is only going to get tougher.
