For The First Time, BYD Successfully Overtakes Tesla At The European Electric Car Market

JAKARTA - A big surprise occurred in the European automotive market. Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD for the first time managed to surpass Tesla's pure electric vehicle (BEV) sales on the continent.

Data from JATO Dynamics, as reported by Reuters on Thursday, May 23, shows that BYD recorded 7,231 BEV units sold in Europe in April, narrowly ahead of Tesla, which posted 7,165 units.

This news is an important milestone, given Tesla's dominance in the European BEV market over the years. Felipe Munoz, global analyst of JATO Dynamics, said, "This is an important moment for the European car market, especially if you consider that Tesla has been leading the European BEV market for years, while new BYD has officially started operations outside Norway and the Netherlands by the end of 2022."

The overall surge in BEV sales in Europe reached 28 percent in April compared to the previous year, and Chinese car brands became the main driver of this growth. Interestingly, although the European Union imposed tariffs for electric vehicles made in China, registration of these cars actually jumped 59 percent compared to last year. Meanwhile, the combined growth of European car manufacturers, Japan, South Korea, and the United States was recorded at 26 percent.

Tesla's unsatisfactory performance in Europe is thought to be strongly affected by several factors. The Elon Musk-led company experienced its first annual drop in shipments last year, and analysts expect a further decline this year after a 13 percent drop in the first quarter. Although Musk claims that Tesla's sales have turned up and demand is strong in areas other than Europe, sales data in Europe said otherwise.

Elon Musk's political views are also allegedly contributing to the decline in demand, sparking a wave of protests against Tesla in the United States and Europe, leading to a decline in sales. In addition, production cessation for factory rearranging in order to produce a globally redesigned Model Y crossover also led to a decline in manufacturing and sales in the first quarter.