US and Chinese brands battle it out as BEV and PHEV registrations soar
15 April 2025
Global deliveries of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) continued to grow in February. The month saw US and Chinese brands dominate the market. Tom Hooker, Autovista24 journalist, looks into the data.
A total of 797,769 BEVs were registered worldwide in February, an improvement of 55.6% year on year. This was 285,215 units more than in February 2024. It also marked the powertrain’s 11th month of consecutive global growth.
PHEV deliveries surged by 40.3% year on year. The technology featured in 432,750 new models in the month, gaining 124,345 registrations year on year.
Across the first two months of the year, BEVs saw a 36.1% increase in deliveries, reaching 1.59 million units. Meanwhile, PHEVs soared 30.9%, with 944,458 registrations.
Tesla’s BEV top two
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling BEV in February. The crossover comfortably led the market with 51,405 deliveries. However, compared to its dominance in the previous months, February represented a poor performance. This result equated to a 30.8% year-on-year decline and the model’s lowest registration total since October 2022.
The BEV was 11,769 units ahead of its nearest competitor in February. One year ago, the model held a 40,801 unit lead. The Model Y made up 6.4% of all-electric volumes in the month, down 8.1 percentage points (pp).
The Tesla Model 3 came second with 39,636 registrations, up 18.4% year on year. Despite the increase, the sedan dropped from a 6.5% share to 5% in February.
More recently, the brand’s showrooms and dealerships became targets of vandalism across several locations, including in Rome and Las Vegas. The carmaker has also faced backlash at its German plant. More than 3,000 employees signed a petition demanding better working conditions, according to the Financial Times (FT).
On the other hand, Bloomberg highlighted that Tesla may benefit from automotive tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. In the US, the second-biggest BEV market worldwide, the brand has large factories in California and Texas. This provides some protection from duties on vehicles and automotive parts.
BYD’s soaring Seagull
Third place was taken by the BYD Seagull, also known as the Dolphin Mini in some markets. The BEV improved volumes by 119.6% compared to 12 months ago, recording 30,062 deliveries. It captured 3.8% of the market, up 1.1pp.
The model could come to Europe this year, rebadged as the Dolphin Surf, Autocar reported. The manufacturer has further increased its presence in Europe by launching in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, electrive wrote.
However, the European Commission is investigating whether China provided unfair subsidies for BYD’s Hungary plant, as told by the FT.
Meanwhile, the carmaker’s plans for a plant in Mexico have been put on hold, Reuters reported. Chinese brands require approval from the country’s commerce ministry to manufacture overseas, which has been delayed.
Chinese BEV domination
Following the BYD Seagull, the remaining seven models in February’s top 10 all came from Chinese brands. Half of the table was filled by BYD and Geely models alone.
The Geely Geome Xingyuan finished fourth, reaching a record 28,588 units in its sixth month of deliveries. This gave it a 3.6% share. Then came the Xiaomi SU7, with 23,751 units. The BEV accounted for 3% of all-electric volumes in its 11th month of registrations.
The model was involved in a fatal accident in China, Reuters wrote. The car was reportedly in Navigate on Autopilot intelligent-assisted driving mode before the collision.
In sixth was the Wuling Mini, with 22,069 deliveries. This represented a growth of 74.5% year on year but was also its lowest registration total since July 2024. It captured 2.8% of the market, up 0.3pp. Next up was the Xpeng M03, posting 15,312 units in its seventh month of deliveries. This gave the BEV a 1.9% market share.
BYD’s Yuan Plus, also known as the Atto 3 in some markets, came eighth. The crossover SUV recorded 14,351 sales, an improvement of 8.5% compared to February 2024. It made up 1.8% of total BEV volumes, down from 2.6%.
The Geely Panda Mini landed ninth with 12,899 units, surging 148.6% year on year. The result equated to an increase of 7,711 units. This gave it a 0.6pp increase in market share to 1.6%.
Rounding out the top 10 was the BYD Yuan Up, also known as the Atto 2. The model posted 10,942 deliveries, a significant increase from the previous month, when it recorded 1,125 registrations. The B-segment model made up 1.4% of the market in February.
Changeable top 10
In the first two months of the year, the Tesla Model Y was the most popular BEV worldwide. It took a 7.2% market share, thanks to 114,473 deliveries. It led its sibling, the Model 3, by 48,022 units. The sedan moved up one place to second, as the Geely Geome Xingyuan dropped to third.
As the 2025 table developed, the BYD Seagull moved up two spots into fourth. This caused the Wuling Mini to fall to fifth and the Xiaomi SU7 down to sixth. The Xpeng M03 rose to seventh, as the Geely Panda Mini dropped to eighth.
The BYD Yuan Plus remained in ninth, while the Wuling Bingo entered the top 10. This dropped the Volkswagen ID.4 out of the developing 2025 table. It was the only European model present in January’s ranking.
BYD’s PHEV bliss
BYD dominated the global PHEV market in February. It placed eight models in the month’s top 10 and filled out the first five places. Leading the charge was the BYD Song Plus, also known as the Seal U, with 22,441 deliveries.
This was an improvement of 119.9% year on year or a 12,234-unit gain. It took a 5.2% market share, up from 3.3% in February 2024.
The Song Pro secured second with 19,428 registrations, an increase of 64.4% compared to 12 months ago. It accounted for 4.5% of overall PHEV volumes, up 0.7pp. Then came the Qin Plus, which suffered a 23.5% drop in deliveries to 16,501 units. Its market share subsequently fell 3.2pp to 3.8%.
The Qin L came fourth, with 16,213 deliveries in its 10th month on the market. It represented 3.7% of overall PHEV volumes. In fifth was the Seal 06, reaching 13,544 units also in its 10th month of registrations. This gave the hatchback a 3.1% market share.
Best of the rest
Li Auto’s L6 was the first non-BYD model in sixth, reaching 13,160 deliveries in its 11th month on the market. It accounted for 3% of all PHEV registrations.
Then came the BYD Destroyer 05, also known as the Seal 05 in some markets, with 11,782 units. This equated to a year-on-year growth of 69.5%. It made up 2.7% of the overall PHEV market, up from 2.3%.
The Galaxy Starship 7 landed in seventh, with 10,070 deliveries. The SUV has quickly ramped up volumes after entering the market in November 2024. In eighth was the BYD Song L, recording 9,225 units and taking a 2.1% market share.
The BYD Han took 10th, with 8,356 registrations, an increase of 190.4% compared to one year ago. The model represented 1.9% of all PHEV deliveries, up from 0.9%.
Song of success
Two of BYD’s Song models held their lead in the first two months of the year. The Song Plus controlled the market, with a share of 4.9% equating to 45,866 registrations. The Song Pro followed behind with 39,932 units, giving it a 4.2% share.
The BYD Qin L and BYD Qin Plus both improved one position to third and fourth respectively. Just 139 units separate the two PHEVs. In turn, the Galaxy Starship 7 fell two spots to fifth after a poor February.
Elsewhere, the BYD Song L rose one place to ninth, while the BYD Han joined the table in 10th. This meant that the brand also placed eight models in the standings in the first two months of the year.
