Tesla's electric vehicle business had a rough year in 2025.

The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are still untouchable. But the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevy Equinox EV and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are all vying for third place.

Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk’s right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers, and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row. Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier.

BYD said it sold 2.25 million battery-powered EVs in 2025, while Tesla said it sold 1.64 million over the same period.

EV competition, especially from Europe, is raising questions about Tesla's ability to revive the core auto business as Elon Musk steers the company toward robotaxis and humanoid robots.

Tesla ceded its EV crown to BYD in 2025 after a 9% drop in deliveries, ending years of dominance as global competition and expiring U.S. tax credits hit sales.

As the largest maker of electric vehicles in the United States, Tesla suffered more than other carmakers from the elimination of federal incentives.

After a GeekWire reporter and EV newbie failed to take a few simple steps to prep for a road trip, her family endured a comedy of errors and learned a lot.