BYD surpassed Tesla in new car registrations in Europe for February, marking the second consecutive month the Chinese automaker has led its US rival in the region.
In the broader European market, including the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and the UK, BYD recorded 17,954 new registrations in February, up 162.3% from a year earlier, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. This lifted its market share to 1.8%, compared with 0.7% in the same month last year.
Tesla registered 17,664 vehicles in the same market during February, representing an 11.8% year-on-year increase. Its market share rose to 1.8% from 1.6% a year earlier, although it remained slightly behind BYD in monthly volume.
Within the European Union alone, BYD’s performance showed stronger growth, with registrations rising 185.3% year-on-year to 15,438 units, giving it a market share of 1.8%. Tesla’s EU registrations increased 29.1% to 13,740 units, with its share reaching 1.6%.
BYD’s broader product mix, which includes both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, has supported its expansion, while Tesla continues to focus exclusively on battery electric models.
On a year-to-date basis, BYD has extended its lead. Registrations in the broader European market reached 36,069 units in the first two months of the year, up 162.7% from a year earlier. Tesla’s cumulative registrations totaled 25,753 units, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.9%.
Industry-wide data from ACEA showed that total new car registrations in the EU declined by 1.2% year-on-year in the first two months, indicating a slower start to the year. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 18.8% of the EU market, up from 15.2% a year earlier, while hybrid electric vehicles remained dominant with a 38.7% share.
The combined share of petrol and diesel vehicles fell to 30.6%, down from 38.7% in the same period last year, reflecting a continued shift toward electrified powertrains.
