The Tesla Model 3 was the biggest-selling American car in the United States for the month of September. That’s according to sales figures shared by CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday, which show the company’s cheapest-ever electric vehicle took the fourth spot in sales for the previous month.
The CleanTechnica stats show the Model 3 sold an estimated 24,040 vehicles in the previous month. That places it well ahead of the fifth-placed Toyota Corolla that sold 20,797 cars, and just behind the third-placed Honda Civic that sold 24,806 vehicles. The Honda Accord came in second with 25,357 cars, and the Toyota Camry topped the list with 27,640 vehicles. The second-highest-selling American car in the month was the Ford Fusion with 15,878 vehicles, which placed it at number eight on the list. The Model 3 was also by far the car with the highest starting price in the month, with the $49,000 edition still the cheapest type available. Only the 19th-placed Dodge Charger, with a $28,995 starting price, came close.
See more: Tesla Took All 3 Top EV Sales Spots Last Month, Elon Musk-Shared Stats Show
The news is a strong endorsement of Tesla’s plan to ramp up production, which started Model 3 production in July 2017 alongside 2,000 Model S and X vehicles per week, before moving to producing around 5,000 Model 3s per week while maintaining its S and X output. A Tesla-commissioned study from IHS Markit showed in May that the company contributed around $5.1 billion to California’s gross state product last year.
The impressive month follows similar success in August sales. Musk shared stats that showed Tesla claimed the first, second and third spots in plug-in electric vehicle sales for the month, delivering around 17,800 vehicles with the Model S selling 2,625 and the Model X selling 2,750. The Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid took fourth place with 2,071 sales.
Tesla is expected to move further into the mass market with next year’s launch of the Model Y, a cheaper sports utility vehicle alternative to the Model X in the same way that the Model 3 is a cheaper version of the Model S.
From there, the company is expected to release its second-generation Roadster supercar in 2020.
