Chinese automaker BYD continues its global push — and last year it managed to overtake Tesla on two of Europe’s most important electric-vehicle markets: Germany and the United Kingdom, DKNews.kz reports.
Germany: BYD surges, Tesla slips
According to data from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, registrations of new BYD EVs in December were more than double those of Tesla.
Over the full year, the gap became clear:
- BYD — 23,306 EVs
- Tesla — 19,390 EVs
BYD’s sales jumped eightfold, while Tesla’s nearly halved.
Analysts say BYD’s success is driven by aggressive pricing, a broader model lineup and strong positioning in the mass-market segment.
The UK tells a similar story
On Europe’s second-largest plug-in vehicle market — the United Kingdom — BYD also came out ahead.
The company overtook Tesla in September and finished 2025 with:
- BYD — 51,422 registrations
- Tesla — 45,513 registrations
For BYD, this is a significant milestone — it shows the brand is gaining traction not only in Asia, but also on traditionally tough Western markets.
A global strategy that’s starting to pay off
Despite slowing growth at home and a price war in China, BYD continues to expand internationally.
In 2025, deliveries looked like this:
- BYD — 2.26 million EVs
- Tesla — 1.64 million EVs
That means BYD is now ahead of Tesla in global electric-vehicle deliveries as well.
What it means for the EV market
BYD’s rise highlights several trends:
- Chinese brands are no longer “alternatives” — they’re becoming leaders
- affordability increasingly outweighs brand prestige
- competition in the EV market will intensify even further
Tesla still holds strong in the premium segment — but the mainstream EV market is rapidly shifting toward Chinese manufacturers.
