Chinese EV giant BYD has sold more EVs in Europe for the first time, reporting a 169-percent surge in sales in April, surpassing its rival, Tesla, according to data from market research firm, Jato Dynamics.
The data showed that BYD sold 7,231 battery-powered EVs in April, outpacing Tesla, which sold 7,165 units during the same period, said the market research firm.
“Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous. 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,” the report read.
For April, Renault, Škoda, Volkswagen, Audi, and BMW also outsold Tesla in pure electric cars, the data showed.
BYD outsold Tesla by an even wider margin when including the carmaker’s plug-in hybrid EVs. The Chinese company’s total sales soared 359 percent in April from a year earlier, Jato Dynamics said.
Meanwhile, beyond Europe, Tesla’s sales in China fell by 6 percent year-on-year in April, marking the seventh consecutive month of year-on-year declines.
For the first time since last year, Tesla’s yearly deliveries fell by 13% in Q1 sales. But according to Musk, sales have recovered, and there is a lot of demand outside of Europe. Many think that the decline in sales is the result of protests against Tesla in the US and Europe sparked by Musk’s political beliefs.
The decline in Q1 manufacturing and sales was partly a result of production halts for the updated Model Y crossover. Analysts believe that reduced sales are the result of consumers holding out for less expensive Model Y models.
BYD is aiming for quick international growth. On Wednesday, May 21, it presented the Dolphin Surf, the European variant of its low-cost Seagull EV.
In April, BYD’s European growth more than quadrupled, according to the statistics from Jato Dynamics, despite EU levies on electric vehicles built in China. The competitive range of BYD’s plug-in hybrid and fully electric car models is responsible for this rise.
As the world’s largest EV seller, BYD maintained its position after reporting a tripling of its net profit for the first quarter and selling more battery EVs than Tesla. By outselling Fiat and Seat in France, BYD has surpassed established brands in Europe thanks to its quick growth.
