Chinese EV maker BYD ended 2025 as the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles, overtaking American EV giant Tesla. Specifically, BYD EVs outsold those of Tesla by a hefty margin of nearly 38 percent globally.
- BYD delivered 2.25 million EVs and 2.28 million plug-in hybrids worldwide in 2025
- Tesla global sales tally up to 1.64 million; 9 percent decline compared to 2024
BYD takes pole position in global EV sales for 2025
Over 2.25 million EVs sold
BYD sold more than 2.25 million all-electric vehicles in 2025, working out to a near 28 percent year-on-year increase for the Chinese manufacturer, while Tesla is estimated to have delivered around 1.64 million EVs, marking a 9 percent drop year-on-year. This is also the second consecutive annual decline in sales for Tesla, with the company shedding 1.1 percent in volume in 2024.
This makes for a delta of over 610,000 units between the two companies, placing BYD as the world’s largest EV maker by volume in 2025. Investors welcomed this result, with BYD’s Hong Kong-listed shares rising as much as 2.3 percent at the onset of 2026. On the other hand, Tesla’s stock price slumped by 2.6 percent at market close on January 2.
How are BYD and Tesla EV sales faring in India?
In India, Tesla made its long-awaited entry back in July 2025 with only the Model Y, that too within the homologation-free CBU cap of 2,500 units. BYD has operated in India’s passenger vehicle market for over four years, and currently sells four CBU models: the Atto 3, eMax 7, Seal, and Sealion 7. It’s worth noting that the government put a damper on BYD’s plans to manufacture EVs in India.
Despite the hurdles it faces, our EV sales data for January-December 2025 shows that BYD placed fifth on the manufacturer sales charts, selling 5,402 units in India and recording a whopping 88 percent year-on-year growth. Tesla, meanwhile, has delivered 225 units of the Model Y to Indian customers since July 2025, slotting in at 12th place overall.
Why BYD pulled ahead of Tesla
Depending on the market, BYD sells a broad model portfolio spanning a slew of price points and body styles. It also doesn’t rely solely on all-electric cars, with BYD offering plug-in hybrid vehicles for buyers concerned about affordability and charging infrastructures. In fact, BYD sold over 2.28 million plug-in hybrids in 2025 – more than its EVs – pushing the EV maker’s total worldwide shipments to over 4.5 million, marking a 7.7 percent year-on-year uptick.
By contrast, Tesla remains heavily dependent on pure EVs and an ageing line-up; the Model S and X are over a decade old, the Model 3 is over eight years old, and the Model Y is nearly six years old. The removal of federal tax credits – benefits of up to $7,500 (Rs 6.77 lakh) – for EV buyers in the US further hampered demand, and there are also the reputational challenges linked to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s incendiary political rhetoric.
To further put BYD’s victory into perspective, the Chinese EV maker is blocked from selling passenger vehicles in the US, but Tesla operates in China and even manufactures EVs there.
