China’s BYD Overtakes Tesla As Global EV Sales Continue To Fall

Elon Musk’s Tesla has suffered its biggest-ever drop in annual sales, leading it to be overtaken as the world’s biggest seller of electric cars

Tesla sold 418,227 cars in the final three months of 2025, new figures revealed on Friday, a 15.6 percent drop on the same quarter a year earlier.

It means that the company’s annual sales fell by 8.6 percent in 2025, marking a second consecutive yearly slump after a one percent decline in 2024.

Its recent dip has led to China’s BYD overtaking Tesla as the world’s biggest EV seller on an annual basis.

BYD, which has pushed heavily into Europe and the UK, sold 2.3 million fully electric cars last year compared to Tesla’s 1.6 million.

It comes after Mr Musk faced a political backlash over his support for Donald Trump, his work on the White House’s cost-cutting “Doge” project, and his embrace of right-leaning movements like Germany’s AfD and Tommy Robinson’s Advance UK.

Sales have also been hit by the removal of Biden’s subsidies for US electric car purchases in recent months, and a new “luxury vehicle tax” in the UK on EVs costing more than £40,000.

Robot future?

Mr Musk has also sought to shift away from EV sales as the biggest mark of Tesla’s success.

He has increasingly focused on the company’s self-driving software, unveiling a “Cybercab” with no steering wheel or pedals, and launching a ‘robotaxi’ business in Texas and California.

He has also made grand promises about the company’s Optimus robotics technology, saying that sales could surpass those of cars and that Optimus robots could outnumber humans.

In November, shareholders approved a pay package for Mr Musk that could see him become the world’s first trillionaire if he sells one million robots and has one million self-driving taxis on the road.

Mr Musk would also have to multiply Tesla’s share price to give it a valuation of $8.5tn (£6.4tn). The promises have led Tesla’s shares to climb to an all-time high in recent months, making the company worth $1.4tn.

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Comments (2)

  • Avatar

    JFK

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    You cannot compete with China, unless you are willing to drop your price MUCH and devote your entire nation on the particular industry.
    No American company can do this.
    And any technological advantage the US has over China will not stay for long.

    China has true leadership.
    The US and the rest of the western world has the CIA as its leadership (and that is the best case scenario…)…
    So, no wonder we are where we are.
    The best we can compete in, is color-revolutions, sabbotage, extreme state violence, taxation, fraud, and any sort of illegal and unethical activity.
    Just like the CIA…

    Reply

    • Avatar

      Taxibill

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      There’s no need for competition with china. Just BAR any and all goods from them. Stop supporting frigging commies. Of course we can’t tho, ’cause apparently we is all beholden to the zioglobohomo BLOB.

      Reply

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