Tesla's EU sales jump 152.4% in May as BYD rivalry intensifies

US electric vehicle maker Tesla posted a sharp rebound in EU sales in May, with registrations rising 152.4% from a year earlier, though competition from China’s BYD continued to intensify, industry data showed.

Tesla registrations in the EU reached 21,767 units in May, up from 8,623 units in the same month last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

The company’s market share also increased to 2.3% from 0.9% a year earlier.

In the January-May period, Tesla’s EU sales rose 77.3% year-on-year to 89,180 units, while its market share climbed to 1.9% from 1.1%.

The rebound came as electric vehicle demand strengthened across the EU, where battery-electric car registrations jumped 35.7% in the first five months of the year to 950,521 units.

Despite Tesla’s recovery, BYD continued to gain ground rapidly in the European market.

The Chinese automaker’s EU registrations surged 158.8% year-on-year in May to 26,017 units, exceeding Tesla’s monthly sales.

In the January-May period, BYD sales rose 158.9% to 99,578 units, also putting the Chinese company ahead of Tesla in total registrations.

BYD’s EU market share increased to 2.7% in May from 1.1% a year earlier, while its January-May share rose to 2.1% from 0.8%.

The figures point to growing pressure on Tesla in Europe, where Chinese automakers have expanded aggressively with more affordable models and broader product ranges.

Other Chinese-linked brands also recorded strong growth. Chery Automobile registrations surged 239.6% in May to 16,282 units, while Leapmotor sales jumped 447.3% to 8,856 units.

In the first five months, Chery’s EU registrations climbed 265.2% to 65,621 units, and Leapmotor sales rose 530.8% to 37,694 units.

Volkswagen Group remained the EU’s largest automaker by registrations, with a 26.6% market share in May, despite a 3.6% decline in monthly sales to 254,011 units.

For the January-May period, Volkswagen Group sales rose 1.5% to 1.27 million units.

Stellantis ranked second with 146,381 registrations in May, down 2.6% year-on-year, while Renault Group sales fell 1.3% to 100,507 units.