Tesla makes big strides in U.S. registrations

Tesla Inc. continues to gain speed in the U.S., according to data from Experian.

New-vehicle registrations for the automaker grew 18 percent in January compared with the same month a year earlier.

They also increased 45 percent on a rolling three-month basis, measured from November 2020 through January 2021.

Registrations of used Teslas also surged, according to Experian, increasing 70 percent year over year and 62 percent on a rolling three-month basis.

The figures are significant because the electric vehicle maker releases sales numbers on a quarterly basis only, and it doesn't break down figures by country. Registration data for 2020 show the company topped Audi to rank fourth among luxury brands in the U.S.

The Model Y crossover led the way in January, chalking up 11,461 of the brand's 23,974 registrations.

The Model 3 sedan was close behind, at 10,151.

Tesla's used-vehicle registrations totaled 4,505 for the month, up sharply from 2,656 a year earlier, a reflection of the brand's growing market footprint.

Tesla owners also appear to be fiercely loyal, according to a separate vein of Experian data. The brand enjoyed a 78 percent loyalty rate among U.S. consumers in the three-month period through November.

General Motors ranked second with a 76.6 percent rate.

To assess loyalty, Experian uses a proprietary formula to determine how the vehicles in a household fleet influence subsequent purchases. The average manufacturer rate of 68.7 percent for the latest period takes into account ownership of an automaker's sibling brands.