Tesla outraces China’s BYD in pure electric car sales to regain world’s top spot

Tesla has regained the global pure electric vehicle (EV) crown for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2024, after its deliveries rose 6.5 per cent year on year in the three months ending March.

The modest increase was enough for the US carmaker to beat China’s EV king BYD, which posted a 25.5 per cent drop in sales during the first quarter of 2026.

Tesla’s deliveries worldwide between January and March hit 358,023 units, it said in a statement on Thursday. Tesla builds only pure electric cars or battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

BYD assembles both BEVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The Shenzhen-based carmaker’s BEV sales in the first quarter stood at 310,389 units.

“BYD suffered a setback in the domestic market as it is the company’s major source of growth,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “Tesla remains relatively stable, banking on a large base of customers around the world.”

BYD beat Tesla for the first time in pure electric car deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023. Photo: EPA

Tesla and BYD have been locked in a battle for the title of the world’s largest BEV maker since mid-2023. BYD beat Tesla for the first time in pure electric car deliveries in the fourth quarter of that year.