Catenaa, Friday, March 13, 2026- Tesla EV sales in China rose in the first two months of 2026, while BYD’s sales dropped, as the EV maker gains lost ground in China.
The combined January and February sales in Tesla’s China-made EVs rose by more than 35% to 127,728, up from 93,926 in the previous year, according to data published Thursday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
The figure was adjusted to account for the seasonal sales slowdown during the two-week Chinese New Year holiday, which took place in mid-February.
The combined sales volume from Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, which produces the Model 3 and Model Y for domestic and foreign markets in Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and elsewhere, was second only to BYD, which reported a 36% decline in deliveries on year during the same period.
BYD unseated Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller, on a calendar-year basis, for the first time in 2025, but Tesla’s recent delivery figures suggest that demand remains relatively healthy, as the combined sales volume for Tesla’s China-made EVs is still more than double that of the next closest automaker, Leapmotor.
Reuters also reported last week that new registrations for Tesla’s EVs, a proxy for sales, rose broadly across Europe in February, most of which are exported from Tesla’s Shanghai factory.
Still, there is little indication that the American automaker is primed to catch up to BYD’s sizeable lead in domestic and overseas sales.
BYD’s new Blade battery and charging capabilities, touted to be able to achieve a 97% charge from 10% in just nine minutes, were unveiled last week to critical acclaim, as it was said to overcome common concerns over EV battery ranges.
BYD’s growing overseas footprint also enables the Shenzhen-headquartered automaker to maintain a strong lead over its domestic competitors, with its export figures exceeding domestic sales for the first time in February.
