The Chinese Car Company Beating Tesla | The Global Story

May 26, 2026 | In 2025, the Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles.

As conflict in the Middle East pushes up fuel prices and boosts demand for EVs, Chinese carmakers are seizing the opportunity. Driven by years of state-backed investment and industrial policy, China has quietly become the global powerhouse of EV production, leading the industry in technology, innovation, and affordability, while the US struggles to keep up.

In today’s episode, we speak to Suranjana Tewari, Asia Business Correspondent for BBC News. She explains what BYD cars are really like, and how China won the EV race.

Tesla Sales in Europe Slump 40% as BYD New Car Registrations More Than Triple

THE GUARDIAN: Electric car business run by Elon Musk continues to lose ground to Chinese rival despite recent revamp of Model Y

Tesla sales slumped 40% across Europe in July compared with a year earlier as Elon Musk’s electric car company faces increasingly tough competition from its Chinese rival BYD.

There were 8,837 sales of Tesla cars last month across the EU, the European Free Trade Association and the UK, according to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). That compared with 14,769 at the same point last year.

New car registrations for BYD across Europe rose to 13,503 last month, compared with 4,151 a year earlier. BYD now has 1.2% market share, the ACEA found. Tesla’s share remains at 0.8%.

Chinese car brands, which often have relatively cheaper models, have been expanding aggressively in Europe. BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time this spring, according to a report from the market research company JATO Dynamics. » | Lauren Almeida | Thursday, April 28, 2025

Block Elon Musk’s Bid to Supply UK Home Energy, Ed Davey Urges

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Lib Dem leader says giving Tesla a foothold in Britain’s energy market could be national security risk

Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, should have its application to supply energy to UK homes blocked on national security grounds, Ed Davey has told ministers.
The Liberal Democrat leader argued that giving the electric car manufacturer a foothold in the British energy market would be “a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics”.

Tesla has a clean energy arm and applied in July for a licence to supply power to British homes.

If the licence is granted by the regulator, Ofgem, the US company could be competing with big UK domestic energy suppliers such as British Gas and Octopus as soon as next year. » | Eleni Courea | Political Correspondent | Friday, August 22, 2025

Tesla Sales Drop 35% in San Diego

Mar 22, 2025 | Jaime Chambers reports.

Germany Just Dropped an Unexpected New Bombshell on Musk

Mar 19, 2025 | Germany just blindsided Elon Musk with a bombshell aimed squarely at where it hurts him the most!

Tesla Sales Are Dropping as Customers Turn Away from Elon Musk over Trump | 7.30

Mar 17, 2025 | Electric vehicle company Tesla used to be seen as a progressive company with its climate-saving agenda driven by tech-savvy CEO, Elon Musk.

But as Musk's 'bromance' with US President Donald Trump developed, so too has the company's image transformed in people's minds.

Antonia O'Flaherty explains.

Tesla Stock Collapses as Elon Musk Protests Explode: Tesla Loses $127 Billion in One-day Market

Mar 15, 2025

Tesla Sales Almost Halve in Europe as Musk Faces Criticism over Trump Ties

THE GUARDIAN: Tech billionaire, a close adviser to the US president, is a vocal supporter of Germany’s far-right AfD party

Sales of new Tesla cars almost halved in Europe last month, indicating waning demand for the US carmaker’s vehicles as its chief executive Elon Musk intervened repeatedly in the politics on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Texas-based carmaker sold 9,945 vehicles in Europe in January, down 45% from last year’s 18,161, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Tesla’s share of the market dropped to 1% from 1.8%.

This could suggest that Musk’s interventions in European political affairs and senior role in Donald Trump’s administration defunding and depopulating the US government – including shutting down its aid programme – are leading to a consumer backlash. » | Julia Kollewe | Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Concern over Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Wipes $126bn Off Tesla Value

THE GUARDIAN: Fears that carmaker’s CEO may have to sell shares to fund $44bn acquisition of social network

Investors have wiped $126bn (£100bn) off Tesla’s value amid concern that Elon Musk may have to sell shares in the electric carmaker to fund his personal contribution to his $44bn acquisition of Twitter.

Tesla stock has been targeted despite the company not being involved in the bid but Musk, its chief executive and largest shareholder, is part-funding the Twitter deal with $21bn of his own equity and a further $12.5bn loan secured against his Tesla stake.

The 12.2% drop in Tesla’s shares on Tuesday equated to a $21bn drop in the value of his Tesla stake, equal to the cash stake he committed to the Twitter deal. » | Guardian staff and agency | Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Elon Musk Says Tesla Will No Longer Accept Bitcoin due to Fossil Fuel Use

THE GUARDIAN: Digital currency, which is made with an energy-intensive process, falls 17% after the tweet

Tesla has suspended customers’ use of bitcoin to purchase its vehicles, Elon Musk said on Wednesday, citing concerns about the use of fossil fuel for bitcoin mining.

Bitcoin, the world’s biggest digital currency, fell almost 17% after the tweet to its lowest point since the beginning of March. It recovered slightly in Asian trading but was still off 12% at $50,933 early on Thursday morning.

Musk said Tesla would not sell any bitcoin, and intends to use bitcoin for transactions as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy.

“We are also looking at other cryptocurrencies that use <1% of bitcoin’s energy/transaction,” Musk said.

Musk said in March that Tesla customers can buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin. » | Reuters | Thursday, May 13, 2021

Dogecoin’s record-breaking rise shoots ‘joke’ cryptocurrency to wider attention »