Aug 22 (Reuters) - BMW led the European

battery electric vehicle (BEV) market for the first time,

beating U.S. automaker Tesla, according to market

research firm JATO Dynamics.

The German auto giant sold 14,869 BEV cars in July, about

300 more than Tesla last month.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The data underscored traditional automakers' success in the

market after trailing pure electric-vehicle manufacturers,

driven by government policies and brand royalty.

KEY QUOTES

"The lack of clarity around the incentives for - and future

of - EVs continues to present a barrier to consumers considering

an EV. These factors, alongside the low residual value of EVs

contributed to the decline seen in July," said Felipe Munoz,

Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, referring to a drop in total EV

sales.

CONTEXT

Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker, remains the

dominant player, but traditional automakers such as BMW and

Volvo are gaining ground due to uncertainties surrounding EV

subsidies and incentives.

CEO Elon Musk's polarizing persona has also been influencing

sentiment toward Tesla, according to some reports.

BY THE NUMBERS

BMW reported a 35% jump in sales last month from a year

earlier, while Tesla saw registrations fall 16%, the report

said.

About 139,300 new electric cars were registered last month,

down 6% from July 2023, according to the report, which added

market share of EVs slipped to 13.5% from 14.6% a year earlier.

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