BYD surpasses Tesla sales in Europe for the first time

EV company BYD sold more cars in Europe last month than Tesla, marking the first time Elon Musk’s company lost in unit registrations to its Chinese rival in the continent.

The Chinese automaker registered 7,231 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) in Europe in April—up 169% from a year earlier—compared to Tesla’s 7,165 units (a decline of 49%), according to a report by JATO Dynamics, a market researcher.

Tesla has been witnessing a decline in vehicle sales in Europe despite an upswing in the continent’s EV segment, which saw a 28% industrywide growth in registrations in April compared to a year earlier. An aging lineup and Musk’s politics hurt demand for the American EV-maker’s cars.