How BYD managed to surpass Tesla and conquer Romania in half a year

BYD conquers Romania: Global leader, local performer after only six months since launch

The Romanian automotive market witnessed a meteoric rise in the second half of 2025. BYD (Build Your Dreams), the giant that redefined electric mobility worldwide, achieved a rare performance locally: consolidating a top position in just six months of official presence. The end of the year marks not only a statistical success, but a paradigm shift in Romanians' preferences for electrified vehicles.

December: A month of records for BYD models

December 2025 was the moment when BYD showed its true strength on the Romanian market. In a month in which 21,312 vehicles were registered nationwide, the Chinese manufacturer managed to place two of its models on the podium of the best-selling green cars:

• BYD SEAL U DM-i: It established itself as the absolute leader, being the best-selling plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model in Romania in December. Customers were attracted by the combination of extended autonomy (up to 1,080 km in combined mode) and the efficiency of hybrid technology.
• BYD Dolphin Surf: It ranked 2nd in the 100% electric passenger car (BEV) segment in the same month, demonstrating that there is a massive demand for compact, technologically advanced and affordable models.

These results propelled BYD to 2nd place in the combined ranking (EV + PHEV) in December, a remarkable achievement for a brand that only officially debuted on the local market in May 2025.

BYD vs. Tesla: A historic global showdown

The year 2025 will go down in automotive history as the year BYD dethroned Tesla, becoming the world's largest manufacturer of fully electric vehicles. The numbers are telling:

• BYD: 2.25 million BEV units sold.
• Tesla: 1.64 million units.

If we add plug-in hybrid vehicles, BYD's total global volume reached 4.54 million units, confirming that the brand's strategy of offering a diversified range of "New Energy" engines is the winning one.

Evolution in Romania: From debut to number 1 among Chinese brands

Although the launch in Romania took place in May 2025, in the midst of modifying the Rabla Plus program, BYD managed to quickly catch up with competitors that have been present on the market for decades.

    "BYD became the number 1 Chinese brand in Romania in terms of electric and hybrid vehicle registrations in 2025."

For the full year (although it was only active for half of it), BYD finished in an honorable 6th place in the annual top of electric vehicles and 8th place in the combined ranking (EV+PHEV). This dynamic underlines the trust of Romanian consumers in cutting-edge technology, such as the famous Blade Battery, considered among the safest and most efficient in the world.

Conclusion

BYD's success in Romania at the end of 2025 is not just a statistical coincidence, but the result of an aggressive expansion strategy and a product portfolio that directly responds to the autonomy and price needs of the public. By surpassing established brands and dominating the PHEV segment with the Seal U DM-i model, BYD has secured its foundation for a year 2026 in which the objective is clear: the position of undisputed leader of the energy transition in transportation in Romania.