BYD surpassed Tesla for the second month in a row, widening the gap in European sales.

February 2026 European electric vehicle sales results

Metric BYD Tesla Units sold (EU + EAST + UK) 17,954 17,664 Increase versus February 2025 +162 % +11.8 % Market share 1.8 % 1.6 % Total for the year (since start of year) 36,069 (+162.7 %) 25,753 (+0.9 %)

Key takeaways

* BYD outperformed Tesla for the second month in a row, widening the sales gap by more than 10,000 vehicles.

* February growth was 11.8 % for Tesla, but against last year’s decline (–27.8 %) it is only a modest “rebound” after seasonal factory shutdowns.

* In Germany Tesla sales fell almost in half (–48 %), and in Sweden and Belgium by over 60 %.

* From January to February BYD sales remained consistently high: 18,242 cars in January and just under 18,000 in February, indicating stable demand.

Why the situation for Tesla looks “pessimistic”

1. Factory retooling: At the beginning of 2025 Gigafactory Berlin, Shanghai and other sites were shut down to prepare for the launch of the updated Model Y Juniper. This made Q1 the weakest delivery quarter in company history.

2. Low sales base: After such a sharp decline even a small increase (0.9 % in February) does not signal real demand growth. In January the company lost 17 % versus the previous year, while the overall EV market grew by 14 %.

Why BYD looks “optimistic”

* Stable volumes: Sales in January and February are almost identical – a sign of steady demand.

* Wide range: Includes not only pure electric cars but also plug‑in hybrids, expanding the target audience.

* Active dealer network development: The company continues to open new sales points across Europe, increasing accessibility of its models.

Overall market trend

* EV share in Europe for the first two months of 2026 rose to 18.8 % (vs. 15.2 % last year).

* Strongest growth was seen in France (+38.5 %) and Germany (+26.3 %).

* Tesla is not yet part of this growth; its sales are even slowing compared with the previous year.

Thus, BYD continues to strengthen its position in the European market, while Tesla faces a number of challenges related to production restructuring and a low sales base after transitioning to a new model.