BYD Sold More Cars Than Tesla Can Count… Then Trolls Musk With “World’s Champion” Declaration

It’s been five years since Elon Musk took the stage to unveil the Cybertruck… a vehicle so angular it looks like it escaped a middle school geometry class (or maybe Elon ran out of budget halfway through designing a Hot Wheels car). That infamous window-shattering moment marked the start of Tesla’s dominance as the stock for both Wall Street hotshots and those annoying finance guys who think daytrading is a personality (it might be). But this morning’s news? Let’s just say Elon might be making an emergency call to his glass supplier.

China’s electric vehicle giant BYD (short for “Build Your Dreams,” though Elon might call it “Borrow Your Designs”) just broke its own records, reporting a historic 4.3 million EV and hybrid sales in 2024… smashing its 3.6 million target without even sweating. This officially crowns BYD the global EV champion of the year, and let’s just say they’re not exactly modest about it. In a chef’s kiss moment of social media flaunting, BYD dubbed itself “China’s champion, the world’s champion.” Meanwhile, somewhere in Austin, Elon is likely pacing in a circle, muttering, “Okay, but do they have flamethrowers?!” (No, they don’t. Yet.)

Let’s make this clear… BYD is obliterating the competition (including Tesla). The Chinese automaker sold 1.76 million pure EVs in 2024, narrowing the gap with Tesla, which needed a miracle fourth quarter (and government stimulus checks) to hit its 1.81 million target. To be fair, Tesla doesn’t sell hybrids, but hey, BYD’s playbook (combining affordable EVs like the $10,000 Seagull hatchback with hybrids) seems to be working. In December alone, BYD moved nearly 510,000 vehicles, setting a monthly sales record. That’s more than the population of Atlanta buying BYD cars in just 31 days. Meanwhile, Tesla’s final numbers are still TBD, but the math doesn’t look promising. Even if Tesla crushes its Q4 goals, BYD’s hybrid advantage might keep it ahead for the year.

China’s EV market, the largest in the world, is a fierce battleground. BYD has mastered this arena, leveraging government subsidies and discounts to perfection. A standout is their $2,740 trade-in program, incentivizing drivers to swap out their gas-powered cars for EVs. It’s a strategy that’s been paying dividends, literally driving sales through the roof. (Your move, Tesla. Maybe offer a free flamethrower with every Model 3?)

Tesla, on the other hand, has had a rough 2024 (despite their stock rising 62%). Price cuts helped sales, sure, but they also knocked the “luxury” out of the brand. After all, nothing screams exclusivity like discount tags. And while Elon’s off dreaming about humanoid robots and self-driving taxis (because that’s what we need right now), BYD is busy building factories in Brazil and Southeast Asia like they’re playing EV Monopoly on easy mode. All I can say now is… your move, Elon. Maybe start with fixing those faulty tire pressure systems first? Or just hand out flamethrowers to distract us.

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