First BYD outsold Tesla, now it is even outselling Toyota, is BYD inevitable?
When we heard the news of BYD selling more cars than Tesla, it was no surprise. After all, it offers superior products for a better price and has an infinitely better after sales system than the latter. However, these are both EV brands so when it was reported that Tesla sold more cars than Toyota in Singapore so far, it was a shock indeed.
Yes, BYD has emerged as the top-selling car brand in Singapore for the first time in 2025, surpassing Toyota, according to government data. This marks a major milestone as it intensifies its global expansion strategy. Between January and April 2025, BYD sold 3,002 vehicles in Singapore, capturing 20 percent of the total car market.
Moreover, Toyota, in contrast, only sold 2,050 units, while Tesla, another key player in the EV space, sold 535 cars during the same period. This significant lead places BYD firmly at the forefront of the city-state’s auto industry. In 2024, Toyota was still the dominant player, with 7,876 cars sold compared to BYD’s 6,191.
However, the landscape has shifted rapidly in favor of the Chinese manufacturer. BYD’s rise in Singapore reflects its broader push to expand internationally amid increasingly intense competition and price wars in China. BYD aims to sell half of its vehicles outside China by 2030, a bold target that could position it alongside global auto giants.
Though it entered the Singapore market in 2022, more than a year after Tesla, BYD has also seen far stronger growth. In 2023, BYD nearly doubled its sales to 1,416 vehicles, while Tesla’s sales rose just 7 percent to 941 units. BYD’s momentum shows no sign of slowing.
On top of that, Singapore presents unique challenges for car ownership due to its costly Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system, which limits the number of cars on the road. Despite this, BYD has managed to thrive. Its compact electric SUV, the Atto 3, starts at a hefty SGD165,888 (approximately USD127,500).
Meanwhile a Toyota Corolla Altis is slightly more expensive at around SGD170,888. These high prices reflect Singapore’s status as one of the most expensive cities in the world to own a car. BYD’s success in Singapore is part of a broader trend in Southeast Asia. The automaker has already made significant inroads in the region, particularly in Thailand.
Thailand has become its largest overseas market. With ambitious plans to enter more regions, including Europe and Latin America, BYD is positioning itself as a formidable global competitor in the EV sector. We got all this from Reuters and their full article is linked here. Thank you Reuters for the information and images.
