BYD vs Tesla in China: how the retail gap reached almost 2.9 million units

In 2025 BYD retailed 3,484,525 new-energy vehicles (BEV and plug-in hybrid) in China, down 6.3%, and Tesla retailed 625,698, down 4.8% (CPCA via CnEVPost, 12 January 2026). BYD led China's NEV market with a 27.2% share; Tesla was fifth at 4.9%. The gap between them, almost 2.9 million units, comes down to model breadth, price coverage and plug-in hybrids, a powertrain Tesla does not make.

BYD vs Tesla, China retail 2024 and 2025

Year	BYD (China NEV retail)	Tesla (China retail)	Ratio	NEV market share
2024	3,718,281	657,102	5.7×	BYD 34.1% (#1), Tesla 6.0% (#3)
2025	3,484,525	625,698	5.6×	BYD 27.2% (#1), Tesla 4.9% (#5)

CPCA retail rankings for 2024 and 2025, via CnEVPost.

Why BYD has the structural lead

Model breadth. BYD sells across several brands and series, Dynasty, Ocean, Denza, Fangchengbao and Yangwang, from small city cars such as the Seagull up to luxury models. Tesla in China sells two: the Model 3 and Model Y.

Plug-in hybrids. Plug-in hybrids made up about 60% of BYD's wholesale sales in 2024, on CnEVPost's figures. Many Chinese buyers want the fuel back-up of a PHEV, and Tesla makes no PHEV anywhere in the world, so a large part of BYD's market is out of Tesla's reach.

Vertical integration. BYD makes its own Blade LFP battery cells, motors and power electronics, which gives it control over cost and supply. Tesla buys its cells from outside suppliers.

Both are under pressure

Neither company grew its China retail volume in 2025. The competition came from other Chinese groups: Geely grew its NEV retail 81.3% to 1,564,562 and took second place, and Xiaomi entered the top ten with 411,837. Tesla's 2025 China line-up was the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y; it has no smaller, cheaper model in China.

What Tesla still has

Tesla remains a top-five NEV brand in China with only two models, its Supercharger network is long established, and the Model Y has been one of China's best-selling SUVs; it was the top-selling SUV of 2024 with 480,309 units, ahead of BYD's Song Plus (CarNewsChina).

Source & methodology

Figures are CPCA (China Passenger Car Association) retail rankings as reported by CnEVPost. Because BYD sells only new-energy vehicles and Tesla only BEVs, NEV retail is each company's full China retail. The full brand evolution for the Chinese market sits on the China dashboard.