BYD vs Tesla in the Global EV Market
Chinese automaker BYD has surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles on a full-year basis, marking a major shift in the global EV market. BYD said its fully electric car sales jumped nearly 28% to 2.26 million units, while Tesla reported 1.64 million vehicle deliveries in 2025, its second consecutive annual decline.
The milestone highlights BYD’s rapid rise, especially striking given that Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly dismissed the company in a 2011 interview, saying he did not view BYD as a serious competitor. Tesla’s deliveries fell about 8% from 2024, with fourth-quarter deliveries also down sharply year-on-year. Despite weaker sales, Tesla’s stock has rebounded strongly in recent weeks, fueled by optimism around its driverless vehicle testing in Texas.
