BYD has pulled off a coup in Europe. For the first time, the Chinese manufacturer sold more electric cars than Tesla in the European market in April, according to data from JATO Dynamics. With 7,230 electric vehicles sold compared to 7,165 for Tesla, the difference remains small, but the symbol is powerful. BYD has just proven that it can beat the American electric king on its own turf.
The Elon Musk Problem
Behind these figures lies an even less flattering reality for Tesla. Sales of Elon Musk's brand have literally collapsed, falling by nearly 50% compared to April 2024. At the same time, BYD was breaking all records with a 169% increase. If we add hybrids to the equation, BYD even reaches 12,525 monthly sales, widening the gap with Tesla, which obviously only offers 100% electric models.
In Europe, Tesla is dragging a millstone named Elon Musk. The billionaire's toxic political positions – his support for Donald Trump and the German far-right AfD party – are not going down well with European consumers. Although the Tesla boss downplays the situation by declaring that "Europe is our weakest market" and that "sales are doing well," the figures tell a different story.
The decline is not new: in the first quarter, the manufacturer's European sales had already fallen by 30%, even as the electric vehicle market was growing. Meanwhile, BYD continues its rise, selling 79,000 cars outside China in April, double the previous year.
BYD has no intention of stopping there. The Chinese manufacturer has just unveiled its new weapon: the Dolphin Surf, which will arrive in fifteen European countries in June. The starting price? Only 23,000 euros, or around 19,000 euros less than the cheapest Tesla in the catalog. It's hard to find a more aggressive positioning.
This low-cost strategy fits perfectly into the current European context. New CO2 standards are pushing motorists towards electric cars: sales of electric cars jumped 28% in April, while gasoline fell 7% and diesel plunged 19%. Chinese manufacturers are riding this wave, with spectacular gains for Chery (+1,149%) and BYD (+356%).
Tesla therefore finds itself in a very delicate position. After dominating the electric market for years, the Californian brand is seeing its more agile Chinese competitors nibble away at its market share, while profiting from its boss's blunders.
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