A sharp sales slump knocked Tesla off its long-held perch as the world’s top electric vehicle maker, according to the Associated Press.
Tesla delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, a 9% drop from the year before, as backlash over CEO Elon Musk’s politics, expiring U.S. tax credits, and tougher global competition weighed on demand. Chinese rival BYD surged past Tesla with 2.26 million vehicles sold, becoming the new global leader.
The loss of a $7,500 U.S. EV tax credit phased out under the Trump administration also hurt late-year sales. Despite the slide, investors continue backing Musk’s push into robotaxis, energy storage, and humanoid robots.
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