Chinese automaker BYD has disputed comments attributed to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa suggesting that Leapmotor outsold it in Germany, though Stellantis has since clarified the remarks were specific to August sales of certain models.
BYD pointed to sales data showing it remained ahead of Leapmotor on a year-to-date basis. Between January and August 2025, BYD sold 8,610 vehicles in Germany, including 5,852 battery-electric cars and 2,757 plug-in hybrids, compared with 3,536 sales for Leapmotor, comprising 3,088 BEVs and 448 PHEVs. Figures from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) show similar results, with 8,563 BYD registrations against 3,531 for Leapmotor during the same period.
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However, Stellantis later clarified that Filosa’s comments referred only to sales in August. According to KBA data, BYD registered 1,114 vehicles in Germany that month, while Leapmotor logged 826. A Stellantis spokesperson said the CEO’s remarks were accurate when applied to battery-electric vehicle sales for the month, noting that the Leapmotor T03 was Germany’s best-selling Chinese EV in August, and Leapmotor overall was the country’s top-selling Chinese BEV brand. “All other assessments from the competition cannot be linked to what was stated yesterday by our CEO,” the spokesperson added.
Beyond the Leapmotor comparison, BYD has also highlighted its performance against Stellantis-owned brands Alfa Romeo and Jeep. KBA data show Alfa Romeo sold about 5,222 units between January and August, while Jeep sold 8,884 vehicles, only slightly ahead of BYD’s 8,563.
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BYD currently offers a broader product range in Germany, including the Dolphin, Atto, Seal, Tang and Sealion series, sold as BEVs and PHEVs. Leapmotor’s line-up includes the T03 city car, the B10 crossover and the C10 SUV, with the B05 hatchback scheduled to join later this year.
Globally, the disparity remains much larger. BYD sold 2.15 million vehicles in the first half of 2025, nearly ten times Leapmotor’s 221,664.
Source: Carscoops, GlobalNewsWire