Elon Musk's Tesla lost its title Friday of being the world's most popular electric vehicle maker after its sales continued to drop in 2025 over opposition to Musk's politics, pushing Chinese rival BYD into the top spot instead.

Tesla said it only delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier. It also saw a drop in sales in 2024. BYD sold 2.26 million vehicles in 2025, making it now the best-selling EV maker, according to the Associated Press.  

In its fourth quarter, Tesla said it only sold 414,000 electric vehicles, which is less than the 440,000 predicted.

Despite the low sale numbers of its electric vehicles, Tesla's stock rose 11% in 2025 and investors remain confident that Musk can help turn the company into a major robotaxi player. 

The numbers come after protests broke out at Tesla locations nationwide last year over Musk's involvement with the federal government, where he ran the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. But Musk has been back at the helm of Tesla and his other projects since leaving government service. 

Experts also believed the sales were impacted by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that the Trump administration phased out near the end of September.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.