Make / Model Search
News - TeslaTesla slips behind BYD for global BEV salesBYD on top as Tesla’s second consecutive sales decline concedes BEV volume crown13 Jan 2026 DESPITE its updated Model Y medium SUV on track to be the world’s biggest-selling BEV, Tesla’s global 2025 sales figures show the US-based manufacturer has relinquished the number one position for battery electric vehicle sales to Chinese giant BYD.
Tesla’s 2025 global sales fell by 3.7 per cent, not only a second straight year in decline but an even bigger drop over the 1.1 per cent fall it suffered in 2024, the first year Tesla tasted a reversal in annual sales.
In hard numbers, Tesla sold about 1.64 million BEVs globally last year, a long way behind BYD’s tally of about 2.2 million units, the result a position change from 2024.
On the local front, comparing 2025 sales results between the two placed Tesla in the lead on the back of more than 28,000 (mostly new Model Y) sales representing a 24.8 per cent YoY drop, versus BYD clocking about 23,000 BEV sales across half a dozen models and 52,415 overall deliveries when including its plug-in hybrid offerings.
Tesla’s global ride down the slippery dip has been attributed to many causes including: an end BEV incentives in its US domestic market, increased competition from (mainly) China and elsewhere, insufficient new models, consumer backlash to CEO Elon Musk’s political agenda, declining Model 3 popularity, shifting demand and buyer confidence in technologies such as the controversial ‘Full Self Driving’ feature.
Falling market share and customer interest in the brand is not restricted to one area as volumes have slumped in key markets like the US, China, Europe, and Australia.
Ever the optimist, Mr Musk says the brand will improve sales to 1.75 million units this year and reach four million deliveries by 2027.
To achieve that, the company will have to quickly address reverse its fortunes, which in the fourth quarter of 2025 experienced a 16 per cent year-on-year dip to 423,000 vehicles.
Taking a monetary view, Tesla posted a 37 per cent decrease in income for the third quarter of 2025 following its worst quarterly loss in a decade in Q2, 2025.
Mr Musk (and Tesla) pointed to production changeovers for the new Model Y and updated Model 3 as factors in the sales declines earlier in 2025 but made no mention of the other factors listed above.
Tesla cites “challenges from automotive tariffs due to manufacturing in China, Germany and the United States” as contributing factors, but significant early 2025 sales dips in Europe and Australia have been broadly attributed to a backlash against Mr Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration and his $A1.5 trillion compensation package as CEO.
A company habit of over-promising and under-delivering continued with the launch mid-2025 of Tesla's first ‘robotaxi’ in Austin, Texas followed a little later by San Francisco – all featuring a human supervisor with a rollout well short of the promised 500 units in Texas and 1000 units in California.
Despite the challenges, Tesla’s Model Y remained the top-selling BEV in Australia last year recording 22,239 unit sales compared to the BYD Sealion 7 at 13,410.  Read more12th of January 2026  Australia gets Tesla’s first five-year warrantyPrivate buyers score five-year warranty, but it trails Tesla’s historical offers8th of January 2026  BYD misses sales targetsExports hope to bolster BYD’s global sales, 2025 totals fall 897K units short of forecast14th of November 2025  Full-electric BYD Atto 2 priced from $32KAtto 2 launching imminently with up to 345km range and 130kW power |
Click to shareTesla articlesResearch Tesla Motor industry news GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events. |
Connect with us
Facebook Twitter Instagram