China's BYD set to overtake Tesla as world's top EV seller

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about It would mark the first time the Chinese firm has outpaced its American rival for annual sales.

Chinas BYD set to overtake Tesla as worlds top EV seller 3 hours ago Save Osmond Chia Business reporter Save Chinas BYD is set to overtake Elon Musks Tesla as the worlds biggest seller of electric vehicles (EVs), marking the first time it has outpaced its American rival for annual sales. On Thursday, BYD dropped that sales of its battery-powered cars rose last year by almost 28% to more than 2. (let that sink in)

Tesla, which is because of reveal its total sales for 2025 later on Friday, last week published analysts estimates suggesting that it had sold around 1.

The Details

65 million vehicles for the year as a whole. The US firm has faced a tough year with a mixed reception to new offerings , unease over Musks political activities and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals.

In October, Tesla introduced lower-priced versions of its two best-selling models in the US in a bid to boost sales. It had faced criticism that it had been slow to release new and more affordable options to stay competitive.

Why This Matters

Musk, who is already the worlds richest man , is tasked with majorly boosting Teslas sales and stock market value over the next decade to secure a record-breaking pay package. The deal, which was approved November, could see him getting a payout of as much as $1tn (£740bn) . As part of the agreement, Musk also has to sell a million humanoid robots over the next ten years.

World leaders are expected to respond to this situation soon.

Key Takeaways

• Tesla has invested heavily in its “Optimus” product and self-driving “Robotaxis”.
• Tesla sales slumped in the first three months of 2025 after a backlash against Musks role in US President Donald Trumps administration.

The Bottom Line

Besides Tesla, the multi-billionaires business interests also include the socials platform X, the rocket firm SpaceX and the Boring company, which digs tunnels. Those commitments, along with running Trumps Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led some investors to suggest that Musk was not focusing enough on Tesla.

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