BYD Outsells Tesla in Europe

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD outsold Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) in Europe for the first time in April. Research firm Jato Dynamics provided figures to the Financial Times.

Based on registrations, BYD sold 7,231 units to Tesla’s 7,165. Jato pointed out that BYD did not offer EVs across the region until it began to expand sales outside Norway and the Netherlands at the end of 2022.

The data should not come as a complete surprise. Tesla sales across most EU nations collapsed in April. That month, U.K. sales dropped 62%, and they fell 59% in France. They were also down by double-digit percentages in Denmark and Sweden.

BYD, which faces high tariffs in parts of Europe and in the United States, is pressing hard on EU sales. It has opened a headquarters in Hungary. Germany and Spain have voiced objections to EV tariffs in the region. That offers BYD hope that it can compete with other EV manufacturers on even ground.

Tesla’s problems in Europe are not entirely due to BYD. Legacy car companies, led by Volkswagen, have begun offering a broader range of EVs in the past year. In April, VW, Europe’s largest car company, sold more EVs.

Tesla and BYD are locked in a battle to control the world’s three largest car markets. In China, BYD has moved well ahead of Tesla. That means BYD is the market share leader in the largest EV market in the world.

In the United States, 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs have protected Tesla and legacy car companies GM, Ford, and Hyundai, to name a few. However, BYD models are often priced at half of those of these other manufacturers. If the U.S. market opens up to Chinese EVs, it may be good for consumers, but it could badly damage the market share leaders.

BYD has begun to be a significant success in the EU and is already in China. At some point, that could happen in America.

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