Peter Lyon
May 24, 2025
For the first time ever, BYD outperformed Tesla in terms of overall electric vehicle (EV) sales in the European market for April, according to Jato Dynamics, an automotive data and analytics provider.
Jato Dynamics reports that Tesla sold 7,165 vehicles, a 49% year-over-year decline, while BYD sold 7,231 BEVs, a 169% rise from April 2024. When plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are taken into account, the growth gap with Tesla widens significantly, as BYD‘s total sales increased by 359%.
Of course, these results only relate to BYD which placed 10th and Tesla which placed 11th in the rankings behind the EV powerhouse of Europe—namely Volkswagen which sold some 23,500 units in April including the ID.3, ID.7 and ID.4.
Felipe Munoz, a Jato Global automotive analyst said, “Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous. This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022.”
Furthermore, European EV tariffs also affected sales of Chinese automakers. The fact that BYD’s EV sales alone have surpassed Tesla’s speaks much about the latter’s recent difficulties, even though it has pushed them to broaden their lineup in the region with PHEVs. This is especially true given that the European BEV market has grown by 28% overall.
In addition to being the world leader in EVs, China also leads the world in plug-in hybrid vehicles thanks to its automakers. In order to keep up with their goals for international expansion, European automakers have reacted to the possibility of tariffs by concentrating on alternative powertrains, like plug-in hybrids, Munoz continued.
Sales of Tesla have been falling in international markets, thanks to Elon Musk’s activities with DOGE in the US and his numerous inflammatory remarks. According to Tesla’s first-quarter 2025 sales data, the automaker delivered just 336,681 vehicles worldwide, which is around 50,000 fewer than it did during the same time last year. These results represent the company’s lowest sales figures in over three years.
According to a survey by Jato, EV and PHEV sales now account for 26% of all new car sales in Europe, with Chinese companies accounting for the majority of this rise. Sales of the Chinese PHEV category increased from 1,493 units in April 2024 to 9,649 units in April 2025, a 546% year-over-year increase.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
In addition to BYD’s positive sales performance in Europe, the Chinese surge is manifesting itself in Malaysia and other parts of SE Asia. Wanting to show their dominance, Chinese automakers put on a big show at the recent Malaysia Autoshow 2025 in terms of electric vehicles, and they show no signs of slowing down.
