Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD recorded a sharp increase in European registrations in February, surpassing Tesla for the second consecutive month as competition intensifies in the region, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
BYD registered 17,954 vehicles across Europe, including the EU, EFTA and the UK, marking a 162.3% year-on-year increase. The performance lifted its market share to 1.8%, up from 0.7% in the same period last year.
Tesla, meanwhile, registered 17,664 vehicles in February, an 11.8% increase year-on-year, with its market share also reaching 1.8%. Despite the growth, Tesla’s monthly registrations remained slightly below BYD’s.
EU market performance
In the European Union alone, BYD’s registrations rose to 15,438 units in February, up 185.3% from a year earlier. Its market share in the bloc increased to 1.8%.
Tesla’s EU registrations grew to 13,740 units, a 29.1% rise year-on-year, with its share reaching 1.6%.
Year-to-date trends
For the first two months of the year, BYD maintained a lead with 36,069 total registrations in the broader European market, reflecting a 162.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Tesla’s Europe sales slide continues as BYD expands market share
Tesla recorded 25,753 registrations over the same period, showing marginal growth of 0.9%.
Market dynamics
BYD’s sales include both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models, while Tesla focuses exclusively on battery electric vehicles.
ACEA data showed overall new car registrations in the EU declined by 1.2% in the first two months of the year. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 18.8% of the market, up from 15.2% a year earlier.
Hybrid vehicles held the largest share at 38.7%, while the combined share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.6%.
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