Back in 2011, during an interview, Tesla's CEO, Musk, dismissed BYD with a wave of disdain. He was of the opinion that BYD wasn't a real competitor and even cast doubts on whether the company could manage to stay afloat in the highly competitive Chinese market.

But the tides of time have turned. With its remarkable and rapid growth trajectory, BYD has not only managed to outpace Tesla in the domestic market but has also plunged head - first into fierce global competition. In 2024, BYD surged ahead of Tesla by a substantial margin, achieving a total new - energy vehicle sales volume of 4.2721 million units.

As we stepped into 2025, BYD continued to widen the gap. In the first quarter alone, it sold 416,400 pure electric vehicles, leaving Tesla far behind with only 336,700 units sold. This performance has further cemented BYD's status as the global sales champion in the pure electric vehicle segment. Even Musk has had to come to terms with the fact that BYD has now emerged as a formidable rival.