GreenergyDaily

May. 23, 2025

BYD of China sold more electric cars than Tesla in Europe for the first time last month, reflecting an aggressive push by the Chinese automaker on the continent as well as the continuing travails of Elon Musk’s company among European buyers.

BYD edged out Tesla by fewer than 100 vehicles, according to data for 28 European countries released on Thursday by JATO Dynamics, a research firm. BYD sold 7,231 fully battery-powered cars in Europe last month, versus Tesla’s 7,165.

Despite the small margin, it is “a watershed moment for Europe’s car market,” Felipe Munoz, an analyst at JATO, said in a statement. European car buyers appear willing to embrace Chinese electric cars, which remain cheaper than locally made alternatives despite tariffs imposed by the European Union last year aimed at protecting domestic producers.

BYD’s battery-powered car sales jumped nearly 170 percent in April, versus the same month last year. That far surpassed the pace of sales for all electric cars, which grew 17 percent over that period.

At the same time, Europeans are shunning Tesla, which for years was the most popular brand of electric cars in Europe. Its sales plunged 49 percent year over year in April, dropping Tesla to 11th in the rankings for the month. In the first quarter of the year, it ranked second in electric vehicle sales, behind Germany’s Volkswagen.