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Tesla holds on to crown as world’s top pure EV maker but BYD draws closer in title race

  • The Austin, Texas-based Tesla delivered 443,956 cars in the June quarter, while BYD, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, produced 426,039 units

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Visitors check a Tesla Model 3 car next to a Model Y displayed at a showroom of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China February 4, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Daniel Renin Shanghai
Tesla retained its title as the world’s largest pure electric vehicle (EV) maker after beating sales forecasts for the April to June period but its lead over its competitors is narrowing as Chinese manufacturers launch an array of models at cheaper prices.

The Austin, Texas-based company delivered 443,956 vehicles to customers during the quarter, beating a median forecast of 439,302 units in a Bloomberg survey of analysts, edging out BYD, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which churned out 426,039 pure electric cars in the same period.

Inclusive of plug-in hybrid vehicles, BYD’s production would be the world’s largest. All of Tesla’s production models belong to the battery electric vehicles (BEV) category, also defined as pure electric cars.
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BYD’s total deliveries – which comprise pure electric and hybrid vehicles – in the second quarter hit 982,747 units, up 57.4 per cent from the three months ending March, according to its previous statements.

BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded onto a ship are seen stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port in Suzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on February 8, 2024. Photo: AFP
BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded onto a ship are seen stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port in Suzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on February 8, 2024. Photo: AFP
At the end of May, the Shenzhen-based carmaker unveiled a new and improved version of its plug-in hybrid technology, which enables an electric car to go as far as 2,100km on a single charge with a full tank of petrol.
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China is now the world’s largest automotive and EV market, with electric cars accounting for 60 per cent of global sales.

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