China’s BYD sold 2.26 million electric vehicles in 2025, a new global record, positioning it to outsell Tesla for the first time.
BEIJING: Chinese automotive giant BYD sold 2.26 million electric vehicles in 2025, setting a new global record for any automaker.
The figure, released in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, puts BYD in pole position to outsell Tesla for the first time in an annual period.
Tesla, which reported 1.22 million EV sales by the end of September, is expected to announce its full-year total on Friday.
The Shenzhen-based company, founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, now dominates China’s vast new energy vehicle market.
BYD is aggressively expanding overseas as domestic consumption patterns pressure profitability.
It faces significant tariffs in the United States but is gaining success in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
This growth is causing consternation among traditional European automotive heavyweights.
Tesla narrowly beat BYD in 2024, selling 1.79 million EVs to BYD’s 1.76 million.
This year, Tesla’s sales have struggled in key markets amid CEO Elon Musk’s political endorsements.
The company also faces intensifying competition from BYD, other Chinese firms, and European giants.
