- Relative newcomer to the European market, BYD, has now overtaken Tesla in terms of fully-electric car sales in Europe, according to new data from JATO Dynamics.
- In April, across Europe, BYD sold 7,231 fully-electric cars, ahead of Tesla’s 7,165 cars sold.
- Whilst it’s only a small gain, it’s part of a growing trend for BYD, which only initially entered Europe with EVs in late 2022.
BYD rises through the ranks on the European EV market
Looking at fully-electric car sales across Europe for the month of April, BYD stood as the 10th largest manufacturer, with sales rising 169% compared to April 2024. Meanwhile, Tesla came in at 11th place, with sales falling 49% since April 2024. Out of the top 25 EV manufacturers, Tesla saw the biggest decline, with the majority of manufacturers on the list seeing year-on-year rises in EV sales. Overall, across the month of April, total EV sales across all brands stood at 184,312 units – up an impressive 28% on April 2024’s figure of 144,200. The top-three selling models that month, in order, were the Skoda Elroq, Volkswagen ID.3, and Volkswagen ID.7.
BYD still falls behind the top three EV sellers in Europe, which are Volkswagen, BMW, and Skoda. It’s nonetheless an impressive feat for a company that only entered the European EV market in 2022. It’s now overtaken Tesla, which entered Europe around 2013 in comparison. It’s a similar story for worldwide sales, with BYD selling more fully-electric models in the first quarter of the year than Tesla. Tesla’s electric vehicles might unarguably be very capable cars, but the evidence continues to point towards damaged brand reputation for Tesla, particularly in Europe.
Looking ahead, BYD has the opportunity to take further market share within the European EV market. It’s just debuted the Dolphin Surf in the region, a compact electric car with a starting price of €22,950. In a market which is shouting out for smaller and more affordable EVs, this model has a real opportunity to sell in large numbers and boost BYD’s standing further. It’ll also be able to get its foot in the door ahead of key rivals such as Volkswagen and Renault, whose own comparably-priced electric cars are yet to be launched.
