BYD extends German car sales lead over Tesla with 1,000% surge

[BERLIN] BYD’s German sales surged more than ten-fold last month as the Chinese automaker continues to expand in Europe’s largest electric-vehicle (EV) market.

The maker of the Dolphin hatchback sold 2,629 new cars in the country in January, according to figures the Federal Motor Transport Authority released on Wednesday (Feb 4). That’s up from just 235 vehicles a year earlier and more than twice as many as Tesla’s 1,301 registrations.

BYD is extending its lead over Tesla after having passed its US rival in Germany and the UK last year. Chinese-owned brands MG, Leapmotor and Xpeng have for months expanded in Europe amid a bruising EV price war at home, dialling up competitive pressure on incumbents. As the region’s biggest market, Germany is a key battleground.

Tesla has been struggling across Europe due to backlash against chief executive officer Elon Musk’s political activities. It’s also been grappling with intensifying competition from Chinese and local brands, with the likes of Volkswagen, Renault and BMW broadening their EV offerings.

While the Model Y maker sold 1.9 per cent more vehicles in January than a year earlier, that’s off a low base – its registrations plummeted early last year.

Tesla’s weak sales across Europe carried over into the new year in other markets, with registrations slumping to a more than three-year low in France. In Norway, a lonely market where the company fared well last year, sales cratered 88 per cent in January. BLOOMBERG