BYD Sells More Electric Vehicles In Europe Than Tesla For The Very First Time

For the first time, Chinese automaker BYD has surpassed Tesla in monthly electric vehicle (EV) sales in Europe, marking a significant shift in the continent’s automotive landscape. According to market research firm JATO Dynamics, BYD registered 7,231 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in April 2025, narrowly beating Tesla’s 7,165 units.

This milestone highlights BYD’s rapid ascent in a market long dominated by Tesla. “This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market,” said Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics. While Tesla has led the European BEV sector for years, BYD only began expanding beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022.

Demand for electric vehicles in Europe remains robust. BEV registrations surged 28% in April compared to the previous year, with Chinese brands fueling much of that growth. Notably, registrations of Chinese-made EVs jumped 59% year-over-year, despite the European Union imposing tariffs on these imports. In contrast, EVs from automakers based in Europe, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea grew just 26%.

Tesla’s European sales slump is attributed to multiple factors. The company paused Model Y production to retool factories for a redesign, and consumer interest waned as buyers awaited more affordable variants. Additionally, Tesla’s decline has been linked to CEO Elon Musk’s controversial political positions, which have sparked protests and hurt the brand’s image in both Europe and the U.S.

Tesla reported its first annual decline in deliveries last year and saw a 13% drop in the first quarter of 2025. While Musk claims that global demand is rebounding, Europe remains a challenging market.

BYD’s success and the broader rise of Chinese EVs signal intensifying competition in Europe’s electric car sector—a development reshaping the global auto industry.