BYD Sold Almost Three Times the Number of Cars as Tesla in Europe | Carscoops

      Tesla’s sales in Europe have fallen nearly 50% as Chinese automakers like BYD and SAIC quickly increase their market presence on the continent.

      Chinese car manufacturers now comprise 6.8% of total new car sales in Europe.

      BYD’s sales in Europe surged by 206.8% in October compared to the previous year.

      Tesla's sales dropped by 48.5% in October, totaling only 6,964 vehicles.

      Chinese automakers are progressively enhancing their foothold in Europe, steadily capturing a larger market share. Once seen as niche competitors, they now have a 6.8% share of total European sales in October, with leaders like SAIC and BYD at the forefront as Tesla struggles to maintain its momentum.

      Chinese Brands Make Progress

      In October alone, approximately 75,000 vehicles from Chinese brands were sold across the European Union, the UK, and EFTA countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

      SAIC had a particularly successful month, with sales increasing from 17,552 units in October last year to 23,860 this October, achieving a 26.6% rise in sales from January to October, up from 197,686 to 250,250 units.

      BYD is also experiencing a significant increase in demand, nearly tripling Tesla's sales figures. In October, BYD sold 17,470 vehicles in the region, representing a 206.8% increase from 5,695 the previous October. Year-to-date, the company's sales have surged by an impressive 285%, rising from 35,949 to 138,390 units.

      Tesla's Challenges

      The outlook is not favorable for Tesla. In October, its European sales dropped 48.5% from 13,519 units the same month last year to just 6,964 in 2025, falling behind Porsche, which had a 26% sales decline yet still surpassed Tesla with 7,653 units sold. Over the first ten months of the year, Tesla's local sales have declined by 29.6%, totaling 180,688.

      Of the new cars sold by Chinese brands in the region in October, 36% were battery-electric vehicles, with the compact BYD Dolphin being the best-seller.

      EU + EFTA + UK New Car Sales

      Sales in Europe have risen by 1.4%, with battery-electric vehicles now accounting for a 16.4% market share.

      In the first ten months of 2025, 1,473,447 new battery-electric cars were registered in the EU, largely thanks to the four largest markets: Germany (+39.4%), Belgium (+10.6%), the Netherlands (+6.6%), and France (+5.3%), which together represent 62% of the total. In October alone, battery-electric registrations increased by 38.6% year-on-year.

      Hybrid-electric vehicles continue to be the most popular powertrain, comprising a 34.6% market share. From January to October 2025, registrations reached 3,109,362 units, led by Spain (+27.1%), France (+26.3%), Germany (+10.3%), and Italy (+8.9%).

      Plug-in hybrids are also experiencing growth, with a total of 819,201 registrations, marking a 43.2% increase from last year. The demand is particularly strong in Spain (+109.6%), Italy (+76.5%), and Germany (+63.4%). Plug-in hybrids now make up 9.1% of all EU registrations, up from 7% a year earlier.

      Petrol-powered cars still maintain a 27.4% market share, although this has decreased from 34% last year as combustion vehicle sales continue to decline. As of October, petrol registrations fell by 18.3% in key markets, with France showing a decline of 32.3%, Germany 22.5%, Italy 16.9%, and Spain 13.7%.

      Diesel vehicles are also down, shrinking by 24.5% to a 9.2% market share.