🚗 BYD is continuing to make a splash - despite the bad press in the media. In June 2025, BYD sold 377,628 NEVs (electric + plug-in hybrids) - that's +11% YoY. Tesla achieved 71,599 deliveries from Shanghai in the same period - only +0.8% YoY.
upfront, I am not a Tesla hater, I drive a Tesla myself and am mega happy with the car. But as an investor I stand behind BYD‼️
👉 While Tesla relies almost exclusively on pure BEVs in China, BYD plays the whole gamut: cheap, hybrid, high-tech - and with success.
📊 It's the context that counts
- Global 2024:
- - Tesla: 1.79 million BEVs
- - BYD: 1.76 million BEVs
- → But including PHEVs, BYD has sold 4.27 million vehicles.
- Market share China (May 2025):
- - BYD: 28.5 % NEV share
- - Tesla: 3.8%, with -30% YoY (May: 38,588 units)
➡️ Conclusion: Tesla remains relevant, but BYD is taking over (not only) in China.
🗞️ Negative press about BYD - justified or scaremongering?
More and more often you read: "Production down", "Warehouse full", "Price war". But what is behind all this?
1️⃣ Stock build-up & production adjustment = weakness?
- Yes, BYD has reduced shifts & slightly increased inventory (~150,000 vehicles according to CnEVPost).
- But: this corresponds to only about 2 weeks of sales - so manageable.
- Strategy: Prices down, sales up. Citi says: +30-40% in weekly sales through discounts.
2️⃣ Price war = margin pressure?
- BYD cut prices on 22 models (e.g. the Seagull) in spring.
- Shares fell by -8.6 % as a result.
- But: this is calculated. Sales rose to 380,089 NEVs in April (+21%).
- Tesla? In China -9 % in the same period (28,731 units).
- BYD is clearing out old models & making room for new ones, including the Dolphin Surf in Europe.
3️⃣ BYD beats Tesla in Europe 📍
- April 2025:
- - BYD: 7,231 BEVs
- - Tesla: 7,165 BEVs
- Germany:
- - BYD: +756 % (!) to 1,566 units
- - Tesla: -46% to 855 units
👉 Despite EU tariffs, BYD is expanding: New plants in 🇭🇺 Hungary & 🇹🇷 Turkey, HQ for Europe has opened.
❗ Why the criticism is one-sided
Many reports ignore important strengths:
✅ Second largest battery manufacturer in China (after CATL)
✅ Own chips & vertical integration
✅ New platforms such as the e-Platform 3.0 & 4.0
✅ Technologies such as "God's Eye" assistance & 400 km range in 5 minutes of charging
Tesla?
- Q1 2025: worldwide sales -13 %
- April 2025 in Europe: -49 %
The criticism of BYD sometimes seems politically motivated - also because German manufacturers (VW, BMW, Mercedes) are losing market share.
📌 Conclusion
BYD delivers, grows, invests - despite headwinds.
If you only look at the headlines, you don't see the whole picture. Turnover in 2024 rose to 777 billion yuan (+29%) and BYD is heading for >5 million vehicles in 2025. The strategy is clear: secure the market, manage production efficiently & take off internationally.
📈 For investors: Those who think long-term should not be blinded by selective reporting. BYD remains a player with substance and a global plan.
💬 What is your opinion on BYD?
Will the growth plan hold or is it all hot steam? 👇
