BYD sold 7,231 battery electric vehicles in April versus 7,165 by Tesla, according to data from Jato Dynamics.
BYD Is #1 In Europe
Please note BYD overtakes Tesla in Europe
BYD sold more battery electric vehicles (BEVs) than market leader Tesla in Europe for the first time last month, as the Chinese carmaker continued to make inroads despite hefty tariffs on cars imported from the mainland.
Shenzhen-based BYD, which also makes plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), sold 7,231 BEVs in April, a year-on-year increase of 169 per cent, according to data compiled by market research firm Jato Dynamics from 28 countries in Europe. Tesla’s sales fell 49 per cent to 7,165 units in the same period.
“Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous,” said Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at Jato Dynamics, on Thursday. “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.”
Despite huge tariffs imposed by the European Union (EU), Chinese firms’ BEV sales jumped 59 per cent year on year in April to nearly 15,300 units, while carmakers from Europe, Japan, South Korea and the US posted a 26 per cent increase in sales, it added.
In the PHEV segment, Chinese carmakers’ sales surged 546 per cent year on year to 9,649 units, accounting for nearly 10 per cent of PHEVs registered in the bloc.
In response to disruptions from US tariffs, the EU and China are negotiating the European levies and exploring the possibility of setting a price floor for Chinese EVs.
Chinese EV makers are also speeding up the construction of factories on the continent to counter the tariffs. BYD’s first European car factory in Hungary is expected to start production in the second half of this year.
BYD also planned to establish its European headquarters and a new research and development centre in Hungary, CEO and president Wang Chuanfu said this week.
BYDs would sell in the US too were it not for 100 percent tariffs.
Would You Pay $15,000 for this Nice-Looking EV Toyota?
On May 4, 2025, I asked Would You Pay $15,000 for this Nice-Looking EV Toyota? Zoomers?
I am sure many would say yes, but there’s a catch.
But the Toyota bZ3X is real, and it is actually on sale starting at that price. There is a catch: To buy one, you have to be in China.
Tesla has two models widely available—Model 3 and Model Y—and both have been on the market for years. China’s BYD has about 25 models, according to the market-analysis firm Inovev, and is constantly introducing more.
Pay More – Get Less
That is Trump’s unofficial motto as well as the UAW and Teamsters.
The BZ3X would be a hot seller in the US at $15,000 or even $20,000.
But Trump wants you to to pay more. His 145 percent tariff that would price the car at $37,000 or so.
Trump finds it easy to get the economically clueless on his side with chants of “They are stealing out jobs; they are ripping us off; and it’s unfair trade”.
Trump never asks, would you like a $15,000 EV Toyota
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The idea we are going to bring shoe or clothes manufacturing back to the US (or that we would like the price result if we did) is ludicrous.
BYD’s and other Chinese EV manufacturers are sold in my country. Go to the dealership and look at them. Far better appointed than bare boned Tesla’s.
Better technology which improves every time an update or new model comes up.
A Engineering journalist from my country recently went to China and toured The EV factory’s. BYD not only do EV’s but many other products including battery and solar manufacture. They have near 100,000 engineers working for them and their subsidiary companies. (100.000 propeller heads he called them). Many PHD’s trained at US universities.
Technical innovations are constant.
What the engineering journalist saw almost staggered him. Production machinery was home grown – designed and manufactured in China. No need for imported European or U.S.sourced. The level of autonomy and robot production was amazing. Control computers and software – home grown – no need for U.S. input.
When U.S. Companies need PHD’s or engineers they can find hundreds. Chinese companies find thousands (probably many trained at Trump’s Harvard).
China is a “Command” economy. The government can order companies to produce whatever they want. BYD has been ordered and funded to build out a global manufacturing network and supply the world with inexpensive EV’s. Pretty simple for it to use its USD reserves to go forth and prosper.
Meanwhile the trump administration is trying to stop advances in EV’s and support the petrochemical industry. Being bribed with a $400 million jet makes it pretty clear who trump is working for.
No small wonder that Teslas are no longer selling in Europe. Not only has trump destroyed our relationship with the NATO nations, he has crushed his sycophant Musk’s auto sales.
At bus stops all over Europe there are signs that say “Tesla, Zero to 1939 in three seconds”.
Tough sledding for all of us if this continues.
Yeah, but he’s stopping every company in the nation’s DEI initiatives so the colored women can’t take our jobs!
It will be interesting to see what BYD’s factory in Hungary will produce and at what price. They plan to start with mid-level models; the Dolphin and the Atto. Eventually they plan to produce 12 different models at this plant in order to eliminate imports to Europe.
It will open a plant in Turkey in 2026 and plans a third European plant, possibly in Germany after that.
This is an example of how fast a factory can be built with todays technology.
Lots of applications…
Trump thinks we should be a velvet-roped Switzerland. That CANNOT work out here. How can us being obnoxious and mercantile enhance trade? He is breaking things at such a pace, we will see some cross-breakages we hadn’t foreseen. Slowly, then all at once. Meanwhile he is kvetching about Taylor Swift.
“Fed Quietly Buys $43,600,000,000 in US Treasuries in Alleged ‘Stealth QE’ Operation After China Abruptly Dumps Billions in Bonds.”
Fake Policy Paper is trying to cover up mistakes and the damn is breaking.
I’m not a fan of fed policy, but they arent doing qe right now. They are doing qt at 5 billion per month. The treasuries they buy are for any amount that matures in excess of the 5 billion per month qt. So if they bought 43 billion in a month, that means 48 billion matured and they destroyed 5 billion. If still confused, check out wolfstreet dot com and his fed reports for a better explanation than I can give.
More chips for China. Winning!
I live in the UK. A few months ago BYD were unseen on our roads. The past few weeks I seem to see one every day
The apologists for the CCP won’t be happy until China dominates 100% of manufacturing in every western country and they all become subserviant to China.
Trump is raging in jealousy, expect more disastrous policies which make no sense, Tesla is junk in my opinion & that will become evident when they disappear.
Tesla is about is about to face even more trouble in China. Xiaomi, whose SU7 sedan has been outselling the Tesla Model 3 since the SU7’s introduction late last year has just revealed their Model Y competitor, which is expected to crush Model Y sales. Not only is the YU7 cheaper, more sophisticated and arguably better-looking than the Model Y, but also comes with a larger battery. I think there is little doubt that Tesla is now beyond its peak in the all-important Chinese EV market.
Xiaomi YU7:
https://youtu.be/QPaihE2JMK8
In Oct the EU imposed 35% tariffs on Chinese EV. BYD doesn’t care. The Chinese gov give them a 200% R&D tax credit. The EU VAT 19% is refunded. The more they expand, the more they employ, while infiltrating every country, ex the US ==> the more they spread their influence and dominance all over the world.
You seem like an expert in Chinese policies. Even though I have my doubts about what you say it’s nothing to do with anyone how the Chinese run their economy & no one is forced to purchase their products. These are the same excuses that makes the US fall further behind. The US Gov has been funding the purchase of Tesla cars themselves, what was it $7.5k grant towards Tesla purchases, during 2008 they had scrap & buy schemes in most western countries. The simple reason for the Chinese cars success is demand, they make products that are wanted & they sell them. The US or EU can use tariffs to hide their incompetence & greed but will only impoverish their own citizens. I myself & only myself will decide whether to buy a 15k Chinese car or a western brand car which is inferior for 50k. I want more competition to rid ourselves of the grifting & scamming of western companies who make products to fail in 2 years, who price gouge, who make their products unrepairable all for more share buybacks & huge CEO bonuses & salaries.
Why not US should do the same?
Print USD and give freely to spread American influence and dominance all over the world.
Easy.
In china if BYD spend a $1,000,000 on R&D they get a $2,000,000 tax credit. In the US R&D tax credit is 10% in the first year, 20% in the next three years and 10% in year five. If congress will do the same small businesses will expand and thrive.
Lots of comments from people that can’t think right. A BYD car loan for $20,000 loan at 5% will have a monthly payment of $377. A FORD car loan for $40,000 loan at 5% will have a monthly payment of $755. That’s a savings of $378 and insurance will be cheaper on BYD and the BYD is a superior car, even FORD CEO has said so.
https://electrek.co/2024/10/23/ford-ceo-doesnt-want-to-give-up-this-chinese-ev-hes-driving/
But for some strange freaking reason, Americans have to pay higher prices to keep Ford and GM in business, it’s insane. It’s time to total them.
Industries rise and die, we dont hunt whales for oil any more and there are no horse drawn carriages. If American auto manufacturers can’t compete, they should go under. Workers should move on to something else.
I also expect Tesla sales to continue to decline, no one wants to endorse a nazi-saluter despite him trying to take it all back now.
CSPAN: In Liverpool home games the fans raise their hands in a Nazi salute. When England three lions played in the Olympiastad in Berlin in 2024 the English players sang Germany’s national anthem in a nazi salute.
Ah Europe. The geniality between nations there is only skin deep. And for Canada, Quebec’s motto is “Je me souviens”.
Stop spreading repugnant lies……..
he’s a wonderfully great liar. i’m guessing he’s a thespian or fiction writer……
The Anglo Saxons were German. Most Brits don’t like to be reminded of that.
BYD doesn’t sell in the US so your comparison is theoretical. In Europe BYD’s lineup spans compact hatchbacks to mid-size SUVs while Tesla’s is more top-of-the-line models. They do have competitive pricing because making money is not BYD’s principal worry. Gaining market share is. There is a lot more in Tesla than just cars and they will be the minor part of the company in a few years. Unsurprisingly China and the Left have joined forces to try to sink Musk’s companies. The Left does it because they care more about power than America’s future while China wants Musk’s SpaceX to be hamstrung so they can catch up. Many others do it to get clicks. They will fail in the end.
What actions are leftists taking to sink Musk’s companies? I haven’t seen any bills in Congress. Maybe I’m missing something…
I’ve seen photos of a number of Democrats doing that Nazi saluter thing.
It’s cheaper to make everything in China, including our military weapons. I was reading recently that China has put components into at least some solar panels, which can remotely cause them to fail, weaponizing them. Buy Chinese products and help China build up its modernizing military. Eyes on Taiwan.
A recent Hollywood Reporter article speculated of Hollywood turning into the next Detroit. I guess X auto workers didn’t have some other job to go onto, resulting in the demise of Detroit, as the industry declined. Used to be the refrain was “learn to code.” But AI probably does that better now.
A low-cost car is something that could help the citizens of America that are on the low end of the economic ladder. I can’t see American OEM’s wanting to produce a low-cost car. Let the Maga cult have their gas guzzling SUV’s and pickups. Let everyone else have the choice of economical transportation.
Tesla is 2nd in sales with these high prices they have? That’s pretty good.
China could sell all the BYD’s in the US they wish provided they open a plant here. Same way they treated American manufactures wishing to sell in China.
Then they would lose the competitive advantage which is not what they want to do, at least for now.
Where r all battery stations here in America?? I wish we had a free market here in U.S., then BY D’s could be here to buy. They are affordable but we have too much gatekeeping here.
Sure, let’s just embrace BEVs from China with zero tariffs & see how that works out for GM, Ford, Stellantis & the thousands of other companies who support our domestic auto production. While we’re at it, let’s encourage Canda & Mexico to do the same & see how it works out for them as well.
Zero tariffs on BEVs is the answer. Got it!
Ford and GM aren’t good vehicles. Why do we need the government to always protect them???? They gatekeep the competition here! Toyotas and BYD’s are a much better choice and I have a bigger issue with these gatekept companies.
Hilarious! Any foreign company making cars in the US will get wiped out by Chinese imports just like any American owned company. China will wipe out everyone, everywhere making cars. Well, India can probably hold out for a while, but they don’t export cars to the west.
Why Trump will get nowhere
Trump thinks all the countries in the world have conspired together to take advantage of the US who are good-natured suckers.
No one will accept this ‘theory’, dooming any so-called negotiations, which others consider to be a mugging attempt. Trump is infuriated when other nations do not accept his view meekly and and line up counter-measures.
Trump lives in la-la land, no matter how many join the cult.
Trump aides and policy executives sound like groupies, always fawning about How Great is HE.
👍👍
Well said.
Tariffs can be paid by the producer, exporter, importer or consumer.
Tariffs are starting to create huge commitments with moving production to the US. You must be living under a rock.
Time will tell how well all of this plays out for America, but we need to decouple from China in terms of pharma, electronics especially those used in defense systems, industrial magnets, rare earth metals, batteries, solar panels & several other strategic goods.
Was in San Miguel in Mexico in Feb, saw several BYDs (in a fairly small town) and they looked great. My first time seeing in person. Don’t recall seeing any Teslas but the BYDs definitely caught my eye so could be flawed in that respect.
Saw a Plymouth Neon driving around yesterday. Guarantee that guy wouldn’t trade it for a Tesla or BYD.
They used to make those out by where you were, Mish, right?
I recently drove one in Argentina Nice vehicle In real life it looks much better than the Tesla
Meanwhile: Trump’s Assault on Harvard Is an Astonishing Act of National Self-SabotageThe revocation of Harvard’s ability to certify visas will lead to a mass exodus of talent.
https://yaschamounk.substack.com/p/trumps-assault-on-harvard-is-an-astonishing
Why wouldn’t the talent just go to a university that does not discriminate on the basis of race.
The cost of being on the Uranium standard protecting the free world.
We as a nation have been concentrating on the wrong thing Post WWII.
Not much left for the Milenials and Zs except for debt to pay.
No way out.
The Tariff and Trump programs in General are ALL no-go’s. Only MAGA people believe in miracles.
I do not vote, so I am not a K person either. No one in power has answers now. We are SUNK.
But, the answer is: DO NOT EXPECT ANY and the disappointments dissolve and then we can go on about our business.
Maybe you did not read the article carefully:
‘Despite huge tariffs imposed by the European Union (EU), Chinese firms’ BEV sales jumped 59 per cent year on year in April . . .’
Please explain why tariffs are good for everyone else, except the US?
The reason Chinese EV’s are still successful & growing in sales even after tariffs is because Chinese companies have mastered the art of building cars of quality & at very efficient cost. This is how businesses usually operate, not so now in the west, the west now operate on grifting, making products which break after a short while, extracting huge profits to do share buy backs, paying themselves huge bonuses etc. Chinese companies have the best manufacturing processes in the world by far now, they do not have the costs & grifting of the west. China can make a quality cars for $10k & is happy with a small profit, they can swallow most of the tariffs. It’s not just about manufacturing, it’s a philosophy, real business as it should be, we’ll make a product you’ll love, no scams, no gimmicks, no rip offs & you’ll come back. Can someone tell me how long has Tesla had the same design, 10 years?? 15 years??
You seem to be forgetting the ultra cheap labor…