BYD overtakes Tesla as top global EV seller in Q2 2026

Chinese automaker BYD has reclaimed its position as the world's largest seller of fully electric vehicles, surpassing Tesla in the second quarter of 2026. The company reported delivering 557,090 battery-electric models between April and June, outpacing Tesla's reported 480,126 deliveries for the same period.

This marks a reversal from the first quarter of the year, when Tesla had narrowly retaken the lead. BYD's second-quarter performance was driven by a significant expansion of its overseas shipments, which helped offset a year-on-year decline in its overall electric vehicle deliveries. In June alone, the company sold 403,472 vehicles across all powertrains, with 43 percent of those sales occurring outside of China.

Tesla, meanwhile, reported a 25 percent year-on-year increase in its quarterly deliveries, marking one of its strongest quarters on record. Despite this growth, it was not enough to maintain the top spot in the pure electric vehicle segment that it once dominated.

The two automotive giants have been trading the sales crown for the past several years. BYD first overtook Tesla on a quarterly basis in late 2024 and maintained a significant lead throughout 2025 to become...