BYD Surpasses Tesla in Europe’s Top EV Markets: A New Era in Electric Car Leadership

BYD raced ahead in 2025, delivering 2.26 million EVs compared to Tesla’s 1.64 million.

BYD outsold Tesla in Europe’s two largest electric-vehicle markets last year as the Chinese automaker continues its global expansion.

In Germany, BYD registered more than twice as many new vehicles in December as Tesla did, according to figures released by the Federal Motor Transport Authority. For the full year, its car sales in Europe’s biggest EV market surged eightfold to 23,306, while Tesla’s fell by nearly half to 19,390.

BYD also outperformed Tesla in the UK, the region’s second-largest market for plug-in cars. The maker of the Dolphin hatchback pulled ahead of Tesla in September and finished the year with 51,422 registrations, compared to Tesla’s 45,513.

Tesla already ceded the title of world’s top seller of electric cars to BYD after reporting a 16 per cent decline in fourth-quarter deliveries and its second consecutive annual sales drop.

BYD, in contrast, continues to expand overseas even as momentum has slowed at home amid a crackdown on discounting. The manufacturer delivered 2.26 million EVs in 2025 to Tesla’s 1.64 million.

BYD and its Chinese peers have made especially strong inroads in the UK, which has not followed the European Union in introducing tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

The growing popularity of Chinese brands there helped Britain sell more than two million new vehicles last year, with their cheaper sticker prices attracting consumers.

Tesla, by contrast, has been struggling across Europe due to intensifying competition – the likes of Volkswagen, Renault and BMW have expanded their EV offerings – and a backlash against chief executive officer Elon Musk’s political activities.