BYD has sold more pure electric cars than Tesla in Europe for the first time ever.
Figures from Jato Dynamics show BYD sold 7,231 fully-electric vehicles in Europe last month compared to Tesla's 7,165 units. April 2025 represented another drop in European sales for Elon Musk's Tesla, with total volumes down 49 per cent year-on-year.
BYD’s increasing expansion has pushed it ahead of established European car brands across the continent. The Chinese automaker is outselling Fiat, Dacia, and Seat in the UK; Fiat and Seat in France; Seat in Italy; and Fiat in Spain.
BYD sales in Ireland are up over 39 per cent year-to-date (1,225 ), ahead of the likes of Volvo, Cupra, MG, and Tesla.
Felipe Munoz, global analyst at Jato Dynamics said BYD's surpassing of Tesla "is a watershed moment for Europe's car market".
"Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous," he added.
"This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022."
Speaking to the Galway Advertiser, Niall Cunningham, managing director at Cunningham Autopoint said: "As well as our customers being more than impressed with the value and performance that BYD vehicles offer, we ourselves are blown away by the quality and technical superiority of the BYD product and we are thrilled with the opportunity it offers us to give our customers a new and exciting alternative for their next car purchase. Our experienced and professional team are very proud to represent the BYD brand in Galway."
