BYD sells more EVs than Tesla in Europe for first time, total sales up 359%

China’s leading automaker registered 7,231 new battery-electric vehicles in April, according to market researcher Jato Dynamics. That was up 169% from a year earlier, vaulting BYD into the top 10 brands by EV sales. Tesla placed one spot back as its registrations plunged 49%.

“Although the difference between the two car brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous,” Jato Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz said in an emailed statement. “This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market.”
Tesla continued to slump despite accelerating growth in Europe’s EV segment. Registrations rose 28% industrywide, with market leader Volkswagen selling 61% more battery-electric cars in April than a year earlier. Volkswagen AG’s Skoda brand more than tripled its EV registrations.

BYD outsold Tesla by an even wider margin when including the carmaker’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The Chinese company’s total sales soared 359%, Jato said.