BYD Surpasses Tesla by 400K EVs in 2025 Sales Race

Key Takeaways

1. BYD has surpassed Tesla in electric vehicle sales in 2025, leading by 400,000 units.
2. BYD sold 1.61 million electric vehicles in 2025, a 37% increase from the previous year, while Tesla’s sales decreased by 6% to 1.22 million.
3. BYD has outsold Tesla for four consecutive quarters, even as Tesla achieved record sales in Q3 2025.
4. BYD’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales accounted for 46.2% of its total sales in the first half of 2025.
5. Tesla ended 2024 with 1.79 million sales, narrowly beating BYD’s 1.76 million, but struggles to regain the lead in 2025.

BYD has taken the lead over all other electric vehicle manufacturers in 2025, surpassing Tesla by a significant margin. The gap between these two competitors stands at 400,000 units.

Sales Performance

Since the start of 2025, BYD has sold 1.61 million electric vehicles, marking a 37 percent rise compared to the same time last year. On the other hand, Tesla’s sales have dipped, with only 1.22 million deliveries, reflecting a 6 percent decrease. This means, as we enter the last quarter of the year, Tesla is trailing by 388,000 units.

Quarter Performance

Despite Tesla achieving record sales in the last quarter, it still fell short against BYD, which experienced its first year-on-year drop. The trends in the market show that BYD has been consistently outpacing Tesla for a while now, with Q3 2025 being the fourth straight quarter where BYD has outsold Tesla. Notably, these figures do not account for BYD’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales, which represented 46.2 percent of their total sales in the first half of 2025.

Year-End Comparison

In contrast, Tesla managed to end 2024 on a high note, with sales reaching 1.79 million units, just beating BYD’s 1.76 million. At the close of Q3 2024, Tesla held a slim lead of 124,000 units. Recently, Tesla introduced the Model Y L in China, aiming to increase demand. This larger six-seat electric SUV reportedly saw around 10,000 daily orders at times in August. However, it seems unlikely that this new model will enable Tesla to catch up with BYD before the year concludes.

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