A fully electric vehicle has topped the global car sales rankings for the first time, and it is none other than the Tesla Model Y which has become the best-selling passenger car in the first quarter of 2023, according to Jato Dynamics via Motor1.

According to data for 53 markets worldwide from the research firm, the Model Y led the pack with 267,200 units sold in the first quarter of this year, which represented an increase of around 69% over the same period last year. Markets where the Model Y performed well included China, its core market, in the United States where volume grew 68%, and in Europe, where it became the best-selling vehicle.

Second place in sales for Q1 2023 behind the Model Y is the Toyota Corolla at 256,400 units, which the report notes to have recorded lower sales despite being on sale in a range of bodystyles, namely sedan, hatchback and station wagon.

The Model Y ranked third in sales last year, behind the Corolla and another Toyota, the RAV4. According to data from 152 markets, 747,500 units of the Model Y were sold last year, itself a 91% increase from 2021.

The Corolla’s sales performance was on a downward trend, however, recording a 29% drop in sales volume in China and a 10% drop in the Unites States market.

For Europe in particular, new car registrations for the month of March gained 26% to 1,414,815 units, and for the Q1 period by 17% to 3,220,806 units, which is the highest it has been since 2019, according to Jato Dynamics. “The increase in registrations is largely explained by accumulated orders from months previous that could not be delivered due to the lack of components at the time,” said Jato Dynamics global analyst Felipe Munoz.

Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were a strong driver of this growth, with more than half of all car registrations in Q1 being BEVs, gaining in volume by 43% in March to more than 219,000 units. Of these, Tesla accounted for 28% of all BEV registrations in Europe in the month of March, and 22% for the first quarter, according to the Jato Dynamics report.

GALLERY: Tesla Model Y in Malaysia