Nearly 80% Of Tesla Model Y Buyers Come From Fossil Fuel Vehicles, Data Implies

Someone named Troy (or “Troy Teslike” on Twitter) has been fastidiously tracking Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y orders for the past several years. His data is crowdsourced — Tesla reservation holders input their info and update it as their vehicles go through the system. Troy has consistently gotten so much participation that he has very reliable and useful data on new Tesla buyers that you can’t get anywhere else.

So, it is quite interesting to see data he has collected on Tesla Model Y buyers. According to his findings, nearly 80% of Model Y buyers are replacing fossil fuel powered vehicles.

The data show 15.7% of Model Y buyers are replacing another Tesla, mostly the Model 3 (11.4%). For another 3%, the Model Y is their first car.

Approximately 2% are replacing the Chevy Bolt EV, 1.8% the BMW i3, 1.3% the Chevy Volt (PHEV), 1.1% the Nissan LEAF, and 0.3% the Ford Fusion Energi (PHEV). That’s not even 5% of Model Y buyers coming from non-Tesla plugin vehicles.

Note that the data have changed a bit since he tweeted this out, and I’m using percentages of the current data in the paragraphs above.

I always find conquest sales a fascinating topic, and especially with a new model like this. Well, the only “new model like this” we’ve had on the market before the Model Y is the Model 3. In this case, similar to the Model 3, the Toyota Prius is the non-Tesla vehicles on top of the replacement list, showing yet again that Toyota’s green/hybrid/efficient reputation is being demolished by Tesla.

And the BMW 3 Series is again in the top 5, as is the BMW X3 if you don’t count the Tesla models (I wouldn’t).

Otherwise, though, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded when I asked him about Model 3 conquest sales on a Tesla shareholder call back in 2018, buyers just come from a large variety of other models. That is one of the beauties and wonders of the Tesla-buying “community” — it comes from all over the place.

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