Feb 22, 2019, 10:34 PM UTC Photo: Sean O’Kane/The Verge The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in the world in 2018, according to data firm JATO Dynamics. JATO says the Silicon Valley automaker sold about 138,000 Model 3s, beating out contenders like the flagship EV of state-owned Chinese automaker BAIC (92,000) and the Nissan Leaf (85,000). In total, Tesla sold more EVs than any other automaker in 2018, JATO reports. The news comes at the same time that Tesla is starting deliveries of the Model 3 in China, the largest market in the world for electric cars. Tesla also recently started delivering Model 3s in Europe for the first time ever. Adding those new markets for the Model 3 is supposed to help Tesla increase sales of the car by more than 100,000 in 2019, according to recent estimates from the company. Tesla releases sales and production figures every quarter, and it has previously touted the Model 3’s popularity compared to other midsized premium sedans from automakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. But as Bertel Schmitt at The Drive points out, JATO generates its figures using vehicle registrations, which gives the numbers a more solid baseline. Tesla’s tapping new markets for the Model 3 in 2019, but there are questions about demand While Tesla plans to nearly double Model 3 production in 2019, the path to the top sales spot could be more challenging this year than it was in 2018. (Which is saying something, considering 2018 was the year of “production hell” and “delivery logistics hell.”) New markets like China and Europe will provide a boost to sales. But some analysts are wary that demand for the Model 3 is drying up in the US, because Tesla’s cars are no longer eligible for the full $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, and the company still hasn’t started production of the $35,000 “standard range” version. Tesla is also grappling with quality issues and problems with service that appear to be directly tied to its massive ramp up in Model 3 production and sales.