Elon Musk is no longer the boss: Byd becomes the first world manufacturer to dethrone Tesla

The duel between Tesla and Byd turns to the advantage of the discreet Chinese giant. In 2024, the manufacturer based in Shenzhen generated 777 billion yuan in turnover, or about $ 107 billion – eclipses the 97.7 billion reported by the company of Elon Musk. And it's not just a question of figures: it is a strategic change in the global hierarchy of the electric automobile.

Electric car: Byd dethroned Tesla with record sales in 2024

Carried by its hybrid models, Byd has sold a total record of 4.3 million vehicles worldwide, compared to 1.79 million for Tesla. Even by limiting itself to 100 % electric models, Byd remains in the shoulder, with 1.76 million units sold. Suffice to say that the Chinese brand has ceased to be a outsider : It now stands out as an essential heavy goods vehicle.

The recent announcement of the Qin L model – offered at 119,800 yuan in China, half less than Model 3 – perfectly illustrates the BYD strategy: efficiency, accessibility, and targeted innovation. In a tense economic context, Chinese consumers accuse more affordable cars, and Byd serves them a credible alternative, without sacrificing technology. Her new ultra-fast charging system in five minutes is not a distant promise: it is a clear message sent to the market.

Meanwhile, Tesla accumulates controversies. The image of Elon Musk, now Close to the Trump administration And engaged in controversial political positions in Europe, begins to weigh heavily on the perception of its brand. Innovation, formerly at the heart of Tesla DNA, seems blurred by the media tumult. The firm is beating right now A worrying giving recordand Elon Musk faces a major industrial fiasco, while All cybertrucks were recalled for a simple glue defect.

Byd, discreet but relentless, advances with method. Supported by a proactive industrial policy, anchored in a gigantic domestic market, and carried by a pragmatic technological vision, the Chinese manufacturer embodies a new phase of the world electricity sector. But in Europe, everything is not pink either, since at a time when we write these lines, The EU suspects unfair Chinese subsidies in the financing of its Hungarian factory.