BYD has sold more electric vehicles (EVs) globally than any other automaker so far in 2025, overtaking Tesla as the world’s favourite EV brand.
According to sales figures from each brand, BYD sold 388,000 more EVs between January 1 and September 30 than Tesla.
BYD’s cumulative EV sales reached 1.61 million units at the end of last month, an improvement of 37 per cent over the same period in 2024, while Tesla posted 1.22 million sales – a 6.0 per cent decline.
The last quarter was the fourth consecutive three-month period in which BYD has sold more EVs than Tesla.
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That’s despite a record quarter for Tesla sales and deliveries between July and September – and BYD’s first year-on-year total sales decline since 2020, led by a more challenging Chinese domestic market.
BYD sells vehicles across four marques and will introduce Denza-badged models from its Fangchengbao and Yangwang brands in Australia from next month (November) – as well as new BYD models.
The Chinese auto giant has previously outsold Tesla when sales of its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models – such as the Shark 6 dual-cab ute and Sealion 6 mid-size SUV – are included in the overall total.
Tesla remains an EV-only brand that does not offer hybrids, and unlike some other brands has no plans to add combustion engines to its model range.
Last year Tesla sold 1.79 million EVs globally to claim a narrow victory over BYD with its 1.76 million EV sales, after holding a 124,000-unit lead at the end of September 2024.
Unlike BYD, Tesla has suffered significant sales slumps in several markets around the world including in Europe, where it faces strong sales not only from BYD but also brands including Volkswagen – which overtook Tesla in July and led it again in August.
Tesla sales also slowed in Australia, although it has recovered with the arrival of the updated Model Y and has now added a Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive variant of the mid-size Model 3 sedan, which increases driving range to 750km – the most of any EV in local showrooms.
BYD has faced slower sales in China, where price wars have seen its sales and profit fall, however, it become the first Chinese brand to crack the top five in terms of Australian sales in June – with consistent top-10 placings since then.
BYD took over distribution in Australia from EVDirect in mid-2025, before appointing former Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins as its chief operating officer.
Since then, it has confirmed a raft of new models for local release, including the pint-size BYD Seagull electric hatch – to be sold here as the Atto 1 – as well the Sealion 5 mid-size PHEV SUV, yet another Toyota RAV4.
It will also add the Atto 2 small SUV as well as its first seven-seat SUV, the Sealion 8 PHEV, to its local lineup.
Denza, meantime, will be launched in Australia next month with two large off-road SUVs sold under the Fangchengbao name in China – the Toyota Prado-rivalling B5 PHEV and the bigger-still, Nissan Patrol-sized B8 PHEV.
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