BYD dethrones Tesla as world's largest electric vehicle maker
In 2025, BYD from China overtook Tesla to become the top battery-electric vehicle (BEV) manufacturer worldwide.
BYD sold over 22.5 lakh all-electric cars—a big jump of nearly 28% from last year—while Tesla's sales dropped by 9% to about 16.3 lakh.
That's a huge shift, with BYD outselling Tesla by more than six lakh cars in just one year.
How did BYD pull ahead?
BYD's global push made a big difference—they exported around 10.5 lakh vehicles in 2025, mostly to Europe and Latin America, marking a massive 150% rise from last year.
This helped them grab a bigger slice of the BEV market: BYD now holds 12.1%, compared to Tesla's 8.8%.
Plus, their lineup is broader—they sold about 45.5 lakh vehicles overall in 2025, split almost evenly between BEVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), while Tesla sticks only to BEVs.
Why does this matter?
BYD topping the charts signals real changes in what people want and how car companies compete globally.
Their mix of affordable options, variety, and large-scale production is shaping where EV demand grows fastest—and shows how Chinese brands are shaking up the race with American giants like Tesla.