Analysts were quick to point out that the drop in sales Tesla is a consequence of participation in Elon Musk in the Trump administration, as well as his activism in favor of far-right politics around the world.
Tesla It is no longer the world’s largest electric car maker, a title now held by China BYDdue to distraction Elon Muskthe policies of President Donald Trump’s administration and increased competition.
Tesla confirmed the decline this Friday, saying it delivered 1,636,129 vehicles last year, down 8.5% from the year before. American Tesla loses sales for the second year in a row.
A few hours before that, the Chinese BYD indicated that it will sell 2.25 million vehicles in 2025, an increase of 28% compared to the previous year.
The decline of Tesla compared to its Chinese rival is summed up by one fact: BYD sold 414,784 vehicles in December, almost as many as Tesla delivered between October and December.
Drop in supplies Tesla in the last quarter of 2025, 15.6% to 418,227 units, raised doubts among specialists about whether the Model Y, the main model of the American manufacturer, remains the best-selling car in the world, as its CEO said a few days ago, Elon Mousek.
The company said it produced 422,652 units of the Model 3 and Model Y in the last three months of the year, and that it shipped a total of 406,585 of the two models. Overall, production for the year was 1,600,767 and shipments were 1,585,279.
Unlike other car manufacturers, Tesla It does not specify production and sales by model, so analysts can only make estimates.
Fred Lambert, editor of Electrek, which specializes in the electric car market, said the numbers “almost certainly confirm that the Model Y was not the best-selling car of 2025.”
Boycott Tesla products
Analysts were quick to point out that the drop in sales Tesla This is a consequence of distraction musk in 2025, the year that began with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who headed the controversial Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE).
Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration, as well as his activism in favor of far-right politics around the world, has caused many consumers and the company to boycott Tesla products, affecting its sales in markets such as Europe and North America.
musk eventually left the DOGE in May amid criticism that his political activities were influencing his leadership in Tesla. But Musk has complained all year that his other interests, including the fact that he also runs SpaceX and artificial intelligence firm xAI, have prevented Tesla from responding to changes in the market.
A third factor contributing to Tesla’s sales decline was the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate up to $7,500 in tax credits it had been giving to buyers of electric vehicles.
The subsidy ended on September 30, 2025, and while it affected all manufacturers of electric models, it had a particular impact on Tesla.
While other companies, such as Ford or General Motors (GM), canceled their plans for electrification to adapt to the new reality, Tesla has not been able to adopt the same strategy (it only produces electric cars), but for years it has the same models without introducing new cars that encourage consumers.
