A very symbolic limit: for the first time, the Chinese automotive group Byd has exceeded Tesla in Europe. A new episode in the soap of the growing rivalry between these two world electricity champions.
In April, according to Jato Dynamics, ByD sold 7,231 100% electric cars in Europe, compared to 7,165 units for Tesla. Therefore, the Chinese group exceeds a short head, 66 cars, its American rival, but the trend is quite surprising. In April, Byd thus saw its sales jump by 169% compared to the same month in 2024, when Tesla falls by 49%.
“Considerable implications”
“A minimum gap” but with “considerable implications”, analysis Felipe Muñoz, expert in the automotive sector in Jato Dynamics:
“This is a turning point for the European automotive market, especially because Tesla has dominated the European market for battery electric vehicles for years, while Byd has officially begun its activities beyond Norway and the Netherlands until the end of 2022.”
Unlike Tesla, Byd also sells rechargeable hybrid models, but is in 100% electric cars sales that the Chinese brand has just overcome the American. In its total sales, Byd’s progression is even more impressive, with +359%, says Jato Dynamics, without specifying the total sales volume.
Hybrid to admit sales
Currently, the ByD range remains mainly composed of 100% electric cars, but the brand launched its SUV SEAL U SEV last year in a rechargeable hybrid version “DM-I”.
“Today, the combination of electricity in France is only 17%, when you are the world leader in electricity, you must think about the development speed of the various markets: in Norway, it goes quickly, less in France. Therefore, we analyze the market and we said that 100% electric is not enough, the hybrid is on its way, therefore, to this context and other models, it will soon be launched to the Bef de Bef microphones of Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef of Bef Bef Bef Bef de Bef Bef Bef, Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef de Bef.
The customs tasks imposed by the European Union in electric vehicles gathered in China since the last final had a negative impact on sales of Chinese car manufacturers, which forced them to look for other solutions. Since then, some of these automobile manufacturers present in Europe have expanded expanding and diversifying their European range with the introduction of hybrid vehicles, which are not yet directed by EU’s customs tasks.
This is particularly the case with MG (Group SAIC) that now has two non -recoverable hybrid models in its range, the MG3 Hybrid+ City car and the MG ZS Hybrid+ SUV, and a rechargeable hybrid model, the MG EHS PHEV SUV.
The MG brand had also been penalized last year due to the loss of ecological bonus in France, which also invites balancing to hybrid models. In France, there are only 778 sales of its MG4 100% compact electric from January to April 2025, against 3,917 still last year during the same period.
Distant world leaders in Europe
In more general terms, it can be taken into account that BYD and Tesla electric car sales are well below other brands. Volkswagen largely dominates these April sales in Europe, with 25,514 units (+61%), ahead of BMW, 14,867 units (+5%) and Skoda, to 13,598 units (+214%).
The Czech brand that belongs to the benefits of the Volkswagen Group in particular of the success of its compact SUV, the Elroq, number one of the sales in April, with almost 8,000 units sold.
Renault is also quite well located, in the fifth place of the best -selling electric cars in Europe (10,328 units in April), with an R5 that is placed in the sixth position of the model classification.
Byd and Tesla are respectively in the tenth and eleventh place and we find mg in position 18, Xpeng in place 24 and jump in position 25.
In the model classification, the Tesla model is in the ninth position in April in Europe (4,495 units), in a context of launching the redesigned version of its SUV star.
There is no Chinese brand model present in the 25 main sales for models and only two models gathered in China, the Volvo Ex30 (with a production in Belgium that has just begun to replace its assembly in China) and the Tesla Model 3, which remains assembled in Shanghai without a project announced to produce it in Berlin, where the brand produces its model and.
Source: BFM TV
