Tesla's Monthly Sales in Europe Surge

Tesla's European sales surged last month, indicating that the electric-vehicle maker led by Elon Musk continues to expand its market influence in Europe; Chinese competitors are also growing strongly in the region. Data from industry body the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed that new registrations of Tesla models, a sales indicator, jumped 72.5% year on year in September to 68,776 vehicles, covering the EU, the U.K., Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Last month's growth rate accelerated markedly from a mere 4% increase in August; August is typically a slow month for car registrations because many European dealers close for the summer holidays. Thanks to a lineup of relatively low-priced electric and hybrid models, Chinese automakers have risen rapidly in Europe in recent years. ACEA said BYD's registrations surged nearly 99% last month to 49,953 vehicles. SAIC Motor's registrations rose nearly 24% to 41,987 vehicles; Leapmotor's registrations increased to 14,594 vehicles, more than quadrupling. By comparison, Germany's Volkswagen saw sales fall 2.9% to 308,474 vehicles; Renault's sales fell 0.7% to 114,726 vehicles.