China’s BYD surpasses Tesla to regain lead in global EV race

China’s electric vehicle (EV) king BYD has leapfrogged once more over Tesla to become the world’s largest battery-powered car manufacturer, spurred by its surging overseas shipments, despite posting an 8.2 per cent year-on-year drop in deliveries.

As BYD gained the upper hand in the race against the US carmaker, it is the latest signal that China’s prowess in EVs is increasingly recognised by consumers around the globe amid an energy crisis.

Tesla said in a statement on Thursday that it had delivered 480,126 vehicles in the three months ending June, up 25 per cent year on year.

But the sales jump was not enough to help Tesla retain the global pure EV crown. BYD’s second-quarter deliveries hit 557,090 units, an 8.2 per cent decline from the same period in 2025.

Tesla builds only pure EVs, also known as battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Shenzhen-based BYD assembles both BEVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

“BYD cars’ rising popularity in overseas countries, particularly western European nations and Southeast Asia, has given it an edge over Tesla and other international rivals in selling pure electric and hybrid cars,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai.