Tesla Inc. easily captured the U.S. luxury-vehicle sales crown for 2022, new data shows, crushing reigning champion BMW.
Among all luxury players and regardless of fuel type, Tesla had 484,351 new vehicle registrations, for a 41 percent increase over 2021, Experian data shows. BMW had 327,929 new registrations, a 5.3-percent drop, and Mercedes-Benz had 269,511 — nearly identical to its 2021 number.
Because Tesla does not break out its U.S. sales results, new vehicle registration data serves as the closest thing to an apples-to-apples market comparison. Previous 2022 estimates had suggested Tesla had won the sales crown, but the Experian data provides greater detail of the gulf between Tesla and its legacy rivals.
Total new vehicle registrations among 15 luxury brands fell 3.5 percent in the U.S. last year to 2.18 million, the data showed. Excluding Tesla, luxury registrations slumped 11 percent.
Tesla's results represent the first time it has topped the luxury segment, and it did so without the benefit of any gasoline-engine products. Its German, Asian and American rivals are far behind in EV adoption, with BMW tallying 14,159 new EV registrations last year and Mercedes-Benz totaling 11,444, Experian said.
Most of the U.S. luxury market activity is still in internal combustion engine models.