Chinese automaker BYD surpassed Tesla in battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales in Europe for the first time in April, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing competition between the world's top electric vehicle manufacturers. According to data from market research firm JATO Dynamics, BYD registered 7,231 BEVs in Europe last month, narrowly outpacing Tesla's 7,165.
"This is a watershed moment for Europe's car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022," said Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics.
BYD's rise comes as Tesla's European sales stumble. New registrations for Tesla vehicles in Europe dropped nearly 50% in April year-over-year, while BYD's BEV sales soared 169% in the same period. Including plug-in hybrids, BYD's total sales in Europe reached 12,525 vehicles last month.
Tesla's overall European deliveries fell 30% in the first quarter of 2025, despite total EV registrations in the region rising 28% year-over-year in April. Chinese EV brands led that growth, with Chinese-made EV registrations jumping 59%, while rivals from Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. collectively posted 26% growth.
The American automaker has been impacted by a combination of production slowdowns and CEO Elon Musk's controversial public stances. Musk's role in the Trump administration and his vocal support for Germany's far-right AfD party have sparked protests in both the U.S. and Europe, with critics blaming the backlash for Tesla's weakening sales.
Production halts to retool Tesla's factories for the redesigned Model Y also dented first-quarter output. Many customers are reportedly delaying purchases as they wait for cheaper variants of the updated Model Y, Tesla's best-selling vehicle, to become available.
At the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk dismissed concerns over the slump. "Europe is our weakest market. We're strong everywhere else," he said. "Sales are doing well at this point, we don't anticipate any meaningful sales shortfall."
Meanwhile, BYD is accelerating its European expansion. On Wednesday, the company unveiled the Dolphin Surf, a compact hatchback based on its popular Seagull model, with a starting price of €23,000 ($26,000)-roughly $19,000 less than Tesla's lowest-priced offering. The vehicle is expected to launch in 15 European markets beginning in June.
