BYD dominates China’s electric car race while Tesla struggles

The world’s largest and fastest-moving EV market is China, and the latest sales figures confirm a clear trend: local champions are pulling ahead, leaving international players to fight for smaller slices of the pie. November data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows that BYD is setting a pace that few can match. The data presents a story of massive growth for some, but it also reveals a sobering reality for Tesla as it closes out the year.

BYD, which sells both pure electric and plug-in hybrid models, took the top spot in November with 306,561 passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold at retail. This huge number gave the automaker a 23.2 percent market share for the month. This share was only slightly higher than its 23.1 percent in October, but it shows a steady hold on the leadership position.

Just behind the leader, Geely Auto cemented its strong second-place finish, selling 172,169 NEV units. Geely’s performance was remarkably strong, posting a 4.8 percent increase from the previous month and an eye-popping 42.4 percent surge compared to the same month last year.

Tesla made a dramatic return to the top 10 ranking after an unusually rough October. In November, Tesla delivered 73,145 vehicles to Chinese buyers. This sales volume represents an incredible 181.3 percent jump from the 26,006 units sold in October, which was the lowest total for the company since November 2022. Tesla’s comeback landed the company in fifth place with a 5.5 percent share of the NEV market. Unfortunately, even with the big monthly jump, the total number was down 5 percent compared to November of last year.

The competition in China is intense, and the market is filling up with strong alternatives. Aside from the top two, SAIC-GM-Wuling secured third place in November with 96,194 NEV sales, commanding a 7.3 percent market share. Xiaomi EV pushed into the top 10 at tenth place with 46,249 vehicles sold, taking a 3.5 percent share, thanks to its SU7 sedan and the YU7 SUV.

When looking at the full year so far, the local automakers’ lead becomes even clearer. From January through November, BYD has sold 3,144,671 NEVs, which is a commanding 27.4 percent market share. Geely Auto holds second place for the year with 1,428,573 sales and a 12.5 percent share. Changan ranks third year-to-date with 727,511 sales, claiming 6.3 percent of the market. During this same eleven-month period, Tesla ranks fifth with 531,855 retail sales, giving it a 4.6 percent share.

This yearly total is where Tesla’s real problem lies. The company finished 2024 with 657,105 sales. To simply match that number this year, Tesla must deliver 125,250 vehicles in December alone. For a bit of perspective, Tesla’s all-time best retail month in China was December 2024, when it delivered 82,927 units - hitting the 125,250 mark is simply impossible.

Even if the company pulls off a new personal record of 85,000 deliveries in December - a massive end-of-year push - Tesla’s annual sales will still fall by 6 percent in China. This projected decline in the world’s most important EV market suggests that the popular Model 3 and Model Y are facing saturation, while competitors like Xiaomi and XPeng continue to post triple-digit growth. The reality is that demand for Tesla’s EVs is slowing down, and no amount of incentives can fix this situation.

Via