The two largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the world are showing completely different trends in the European market:

From January to July, the US giant Tesla saw a sharp drop of 57.8% in sales in the EU market, and in the UK it also plummeted by nearly 60%. At the same time, China's largest automaker BYD celebrated a remarkable victory: in the most challenging European market Germany, sales surged by nearly 390% in July, reaching 1,126 units; in the UK, it also showed strong momentum, with sales increasing more than fourfold, reaching 3,184 units!

The Chinese Dragon Soars in Europe

For Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the market atmosphere in Europe is becoming increasingly bleak. Despite launching an upgraded Model Y, its sales in most major markets are still declining.

The latest registration data for July was like a "disaster report" for Tesla. According to data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), in Germany, the most important car market in Europe, Tesla's sales fell by 55.1% compared to the same period last year, delivering only 1,110 cars to new customers.

The situation in the UK is also not optimistic. In July, car sales in the UK dropped nearly 60%, from 2,462 to just 987 units. For Tesla, this continued a worrying regional trend.

"The Chinese Giant Dragon is Coming", Says German Newspaper

In France, the third-largest market in Europe, Tesla's new registrations in July also fell by 27%, marking one of the largest monthly declines so far. According to the latest report from the French Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CCFA), the decline during the period from January to July approached 40%.

Data for Tesla in other European countries is equally dismal: Sweden dropped 86%, Denmark fell 52%, the Netherlands fell 62%, Belgium fell 58%, Italy dropped 5%, Portugal fell 49%...

Upgraded Model Y Sales Dropped in Europe

"While Tesla is stumbling, its Chinese competitor BYD is marching forward, celebrating a remarkable victory," said the German newspaper. It even called BYD's success "the arrival of the Chinese dragon," as European countries are experiencing "a boom of BYD."

Germany is one of them: in July, BYD's sales in the local market soared by nearly 390%, reaching 1,126 units. In France, BYD broke through the thousand-unit threshold for the first time in a month, selling 1,085 units.

BYD also showed strong momentum in the UK, with sales increasing more than fourfold, reaching 3,184 units.

In Spain, BYD sold 2,158 units in July, an increase of nearly eight times year-on-year!

This means that the Chinese giant now has much higher sales than Tesla in these major markets. Notably, BYD had already surpassed Tesla in total electric vehicle sales in Europe in April 2025, and this trend now seems to be "set in stone"!

BYD Car Ships Heading to Europe

German media believe that Tesla's continued decline in market share in Europe highlights the challenges posed by its narrow product line and the controversial public statements of its CEO, Elon Musk.

In contrast, BYD's high cost-performance ratio, expanding dealer network, and diverse product range have attracted European buyers seeking alternatives to Tesla. Especially the growth in hybrid car sales is a key factor.

Vehicles such as the BYD DOLPHIN SURF and SEAL U are leading the trend. The SEAL U ranked jointly as the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in Europe in June.

BYD's European Sales Network Expands

This global largest electric vehicle manufacturer is taking the next step: BYD not only wants to sell in Europe but is also preparing to start local production in Hungary to help reduce costs, deal with EU tariffs, and better compete with local and global competitors. At the same time, a new European headquarters and research and development center are being built in Budapest.

It is worth noting that BYD is gradually building a tight sales network, which has already exceeded 500 outlets. Its goal is to become a "recognized European manufacturer" within five years and establish over 1,000 sales outlets in 29 countries and regions.

BYD is a success story of Chinese carmakers going global. Companies such as XPeng and MG are also expanding their market share in major European markets like the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The market share of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers led by BYD in Europe has almost doubled, growing from 2.7% at the beginning of 2024 to 5.1% in the first half of 2025. This growth reflects the growing influence of Chinese carmakers in the European automotive market.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540796587094589990/

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