Tesla loses title as world's biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/tesla-sales-musk-trump-deliveries-robotaxi-6d60715babde97b3b1a8e2416f4065ca

Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
Updated 8:57 AM CST, January 2, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk’s right-wing politics and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row.

Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier.

Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 million vehicles last year, is now the biggest EV maker.

For the fourth quarter, sales totaled 418,227, falling short of the 440,000 that analysts polled by FactSet expected. The sales total was impacted by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that was phased out by the Trump administration at the end of September.

...

[SSJVegeta]

1. Now that Musk is thoroughly back in bed with Trump, they will get even worse.

[Blues Heron]

2. Good, keep up the pressure! Join a Tesla takedown near you every Saturday!

[ForgedCrank]

20. I hate to

break it to you, but Musk aside, it's not good news when communist China wins.

[multigraincracker]

3. Tesla is becoming the new Ralf Nader ,

unsafe at any speed car.

[doc03]

4. Everything Trump touches dies. nt

[Coldwater]

5. How unfortunate

[Wednesdays]

7. That's what we shout out every time we see any Tesla:

"SWASTICAR!"

[Johonny]

6. They are too expensive to insure.

It's the insurance on the car killing me.

[Diraven]

8. Looks like he's not getting that trillion dollar bonus

Unless of course he orders the board to get rid of all those unrealistic financial targets.

[mopinko]

21. yeah, he's never gonna hit those targets. good.

[dutch777]

9. Tesla would be doing even worse if Chinese EVs were allowed in the country tariff free. Better tech at lower cost.

Many Americans still harbor the illusion that our tech is better. In many cases, EVs being a prime one, in fact the Asian manufacturers and systems deliver a more capable unit at a much lower cost. This is not only true in the device themselves, but in the systems that support them. People that spend time in Asia are amazed by how much better much of the tech is and how things like the cell phone systems work so much better. Of course it would not only be Tesla that got battered if protective tariffs were dropped but GM, Ford and the rest.

[Johonny]

12. That Chongqing New Years drone and light show

Puts to shame anything the US did.

[hlthe2b]

10. Interesting. I've been seeing more Teslas than in the year before the Musk DOGE debacle backlash

I can only assume they are not only selling a lot of new ones, but those who owned them previously and were a bit ashamed of owning one prior (and were at least changing the Tesla insignia/emblems) have decided to let the flag fly (to my dismay)...

I'm even seeing two of those disgusting Cyber trucks around town, but especially areas near my home. Those are the damned ugliest things I have ever seen--like a trash-metal tugboat on wheels or similar. I continue to warn people walking across the parking lot when one is nearby because I know damned well they can't see (or don't care) people in front or directly behind them. Damn, I hate seeing them.

[themaguffin]

11. and that trend will continue. The damage is done.

[Auggie]

13. That would still make them the largest manufacturer in the US.

Not much of a defeat for Musk

[Keepthesoulalive]

16. I thought this was about sales worldwide

He has virtually no competition here because of government interference. I wouldn’t call that a win.

[Greg_In_SF]

17. And, this is only

about the number of units sold, not earnings.

BYD sells cars for $8000 - $24,000

Tesla sells cars for $33,000 - $125,000

[Auggie]

19. Excellent point

[Martin Eden]

14. I considered buying an EV before the results of the 2024 election, but it would not have been a Tesla

I bought a Hybrid instead, because I knew Trump would stop implementation of Biden's plan for more charging stations along our interstate highway system. I take long road trips to hiking destinations and senior softball tournaments, and did not want to plan my route around stations while avoiding recharge at Tesla. So I bought a hybrid instead, getting MPG in the upper 40's.

[kimbutgar]

18. I brought a hybrid also

We only fill up once a month. My other car which I drive a few times a week I have to fill up every other week. I at one time before the muskrat brought twitter and become the orange turd partner in hate thought about buying a Tesla now you couldn’t give me one for free because it’s a Nazi car to me.

[Martin Eden]

22. The hideous Tesla Cybertruck is called a SWASTICAR by many

I like my Kia Niro hybrid. It's short enough for my spot in the garage, and has room for a full size spare under the hatch floor. I bought a new rim & tire to match the other four, and I have all five rotated.

Like so many new cars these days (especially hybrids & EV's) it didn't even come with a temporary service spare -- just a can of pressurized goop that may or may not repair tire damage that might occur while driving on unpaved forest roads to remote trailheads.

[rampartd]

15. if he never sells another car it would it me fine

his space junk is littering the solar system, crypto mines and data centers are burning gigawatts, and who knows what the boring company is doing.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

23. FAFO on the tax credit Muskrat. That $7,500 was driving a lot of sales of his EVs.

But he did walk away with all of our data, so I guess it was worth it in the end....

[flvegan]

24. It's not just politics, they're shit cars too.

Most recent long term reliability rating (5-10 years): Tesla, dead fucking last. But hey, crash it within the first few years and maybe you can be one of the lucky ones trapped in the car burning to death and that problem is solved. Or something.

I will happily credit Tesla for help "kicking off" the mass migration towards EVs. Even if they are crap.

[2naSalit]

25. Should lose...

A lot more than that.