BYD replaces Tesla as Europe’s top-selling EV
BYD has replaced Tesla as Europe’s top-selling EV brand after recording a 169% sales increase in April.
By contrast, Tesla sales across the 28 European markets measured by Jato Dynamics fell by 49%.
According to the latest figures, 7,231 new BYD’s were registered in Europe last month compared to 7,165 Teslas.
Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, said: “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.”
Chinese trend
BYD led a wider trend in April with Chinese brands increasing sales into Europe from 26,004 units in April 2024 to 53,283 last month, representing a significant rise of 121%.
Munoz said: “China is not only the world leader in BEVs; its automakers are global leaders in plug-in hybrid vehicles too. To gain traction in Europe, its carmakers have responded to the threat posed by tariffs by focusing on other powertrains, such as plug-in hybrids, to maintain the momentum behind their global expansion plans.
EV sales
Meanwhile, the wider EV and plug-in hybrid market accounted for 26% of all new sales in the month, which is a new record, with electric vehicle sales (184,312) up 28% year-on-year and plug-in hybrids (97,715) rising 31%.
Munoz said:
“While the electric vehicle segment was a bright spot for Europe’s new passenger car market last month, these gains were offset by significant declines among ICE vehicles. EV sales need to grow much faster to have a genuine impact on the wider European car market.”
