BYD Surpasses Tesla to Become the World's Largest Electric Vehicle Seller

BYD sold 2.256 million pure electric vehicles in 2025, while Tesla's deliveries during the same period were approximately 1.64 million. Thus, BYD has, for the first time, surpassed Tesla to become the global leader in electric vehicles.

According to comprehensive reports from Sina Finance and other foreign media, BYD released its December 2025 production and sales report on the 1st, showing that sales of pure electric vehicles (BEV) reached 190,712 in December, totaling 2,256,714 for the year—a substantial increase of 27.86%.

Tesla’s data released on the 2nd shows the company delivered 418,227 electric cars in Q4 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 16%. Its full-year delivery was about 1.64 million vehicles, down nearly 9% year-on-year, marking the second consecutive year of annual decline. As a result, the title of the world’s largest electric vehicle seller has changed hands.

BYD Faces Severe Challenges in Domestic Market

However, BYD’s spotlight as it surpasses Tesla for the first time cannot conceal its continued losses in sales within China. This leading Chinese automaker is facing serious challenges in its domestic market. Last year, sales grew by only 7.3%, the slowest growth in five years, with sales declining for four consecutive months.

BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu stated at a special shareholders’ meeting on the 5th of last month that domestic sales declined in 2025. On one hand, BYD’s current technological lead is no longer as great as in previous years, and the market’s excitement over technology achievements has waned. Coupled with increasing industry homogenization, this change aligns with the cyclical nature of product and technology development. On the other hand, pain points such as slow charging at low temperatures urgently need to be addressed through technological breakthroughs.

Wang Chuanfu also admitted that during the previous favorable market conditions, BYD was sluggish in its marketing efforts. Moving forward, the company will accelerate its adjustment, strengthening brand building.