Tesla loses global electric vehicle sales leadership to BYD

Tesla has ceded global leadership in electric vehicle sales to the Chinese company BYD.

Tesla produced 1.655 million vehicles in 2025, down 6.7 per cent from the previous year, while deliveries totalled 1.636 million units, an 8.6 per cent decline, according to the company’s report.

Its Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 million vehicles last year, has now become the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles.

In particular, Tesla produced 1.601 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles last year, while output of its other models amounted to 53,900 units.

Tesla’s electric vehicle production in the fourth quarter of 2025 totalled 434,358 units, which is 5.8 per cent lower year on year.

By Vugar Khalilov