For the first time in history, BYD surpassed Tesla in Europe, people erased prejudices and accepted to buy Chinese electric cars.

The fact that Europeans are willing to buy Chinese electric cars despite tariffs and government protectionism suggests that a market-wide revolution is coming.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that Chinese electric car maker BYD has outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time, reflecting a dramatic shift in consumer attitudes there, which are often picky and proud of local car brands.

Specifically, data from research firm JATO Dynamics shows that BYD sold 7,231 electric vehicles in Europe in April 2025, higher than Tesla’s 7,165.

Although the gap is small, this is a “critical moment for the European car market,” said JATO analyst Felipe Munoz.

European car buyers appear ready to embrace Chinese electric cars as they are cheaper than domestically produced alternatives, despite the European Union (EU) imposing tariffs last year to protect domestic manufacturers.

More specifically, it is a sign that the European market is ready to accept Chinese brands, even if customers here are proud of their car brands.

JATO data shows that BYD’s electric vehicle sales in April 2025 increased by nearly 170% compared to the same period last year, far exceeding the 17% increase of the entire European electric car market.

In contrast, Europeans are shunning Tesla, the most popular electric car brand in the market for many years.

Tesla’s electric vehicle sales in Europe fell 49% in April compared to the same period last year, pushing it down to 11th place in the monthly rankings. In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla’s sales ranked second, behind Germany’s Volkswagen.

First entering Norway in 2014, Tesla quickly became the continent’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, starting production at a factory outside Berlin in 2022, the same year BYD began selling cars in Norway and the Netherlands.

But over time, BYD has gradually surpassed Tesla. Even though the EU has imposed import tariffs to protect domestic production, Chinese electric cars are still cheaper and increasingly accepted by European consumers.

The Chinese carmaker is building a factory in Hungary, as well as one in Türkiye, where it can export cars to the EU without paying tariffs.

This week, BYD announced that it will establish its European headquarters in Hungary, creating 2,000 local jobs, including in electric vehicle research and development.

BYD has expanded rapidly across Europe over the past year. Including plug-in hybrid models, sales were up more than 300% in April compared to the previous year.

By this measure, it also outsells established European brands such as Fiat, Dacia and Seat in several major countries in the region.

However, if calculating total car sales, Volkswagen still tops the list in April 2025 with more than 23,500 new car registrations, an increase of about 60%.

Despite struggling for years to compete with Chinese automakers as well as Tesla, the Volkswagen brand remains a well-known name in the European market because it is also a source of pride for the people in the car industry.

In addition, the reputation built over many years also makes it difficult for Volkswagen to lose its home market to the wave of cheap Chinese electric cars.

Back to Tesla, the NYT said that its sales in Europe had slowed down even before Elon Musk entered politics in the 2024 US presidential election.

However, customer backlash has intensified after Elon Musk took on a number of roles in the White House, influencing policies that impact Europe.

Last month, Tesla sales in Germany and the UK fell to their lowest levels in more than two years.