BYD Triples Tesla’s Sales in October as Chinese Brands Accelerate in Europe

Chinese automakers are rapidly solidifying their presence in the European market. In October, these manufacturers already accounted for a 6.8% share of total European sales.

Chinese carmakers continue to accelerate their presence across Europe. These entrants, once regarded as niche players, now account for a larger slice of the market. About 75,000 vehicles from Chinese brands were sold across the European Union, the UK, and EFTA nations in October.

SAIC enjoyed a particularly strong month in October. Sales soared from 17,552 last October to 23,860 this year. Furthermore, its year-to-date sales from January to October rose by 26.6%, moving from 197,686 to 250,250 units. Similarly, BYD is enjoying a surge in demand. The company sold a total of 17,470 vehicles across the region during October, which represents a 206.8% rise compared to last October. BYD’s year-to-date sales have increased by a monumental 285%, reaching 138,390 units.

Brake on Tesla’s Momentum and Position Shift

The situation is not looking favorable for Tesla in Europe. In October 2025, the brand’s European sales slipped by 48.5% with only 6,964 units, compared to 13,519 units in the same month last year. As a result, Tesla even fell behind Porsche, which recorded 7,653 sales despite its own 26% decline. The American brand’s local sales fell 29.6% through the first ten months of the year, registering a total of 180,688 units.

Of the new cars sold by Chinese brands in October, 36% were battery-electric vehicles (BEV). Among these electric models, the small BYD Dolphin was the best-seller.

European Market Trends: BEV and Hybrids on the Rise

In the overall European landscape, new car registrations edged up 1.4%. Battery-electric vehicles (BEV) now hold a 16.4% share. Additionally, BEVs registered between January and October 2025 totaled 1,473,447 units across the EU. This growth largely owes to the four largest markets: Germany (+39.4%), Belgium (+10.6%), the Netherlands (+6.6%), and France (+5.3%).

Hybrid-electric cars continue to dominate as the most popular powertrain, holding a 34.6% market share. Hybrid registrations reached 3,109,362 units between January and October 2025. Consequently, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) are also on the upswing, totaling 819,201 registrations, a 43.2% increase over last year. PHEVs now represent 9.1% of all EU registrations, up from 7% a year ago. Conversely, petrol and diesel cars continue to shrink their market share.