CAR sales at China's BYD soared 58 per cent in the first quarter in a stark contrast to an expected fall in demand for Tesla's electric cars, as European consumers shun Elon Musk's brand, reports London's Financial Times.
The Shenzhen-based group said it delivered 986,098 passenger vehicles in the first quarter, of which 416,388 were pure EVs, up 39 per cent. The strong start to the year came after BYD's latest annual sales figures recently topped US$100 billion for the first time, propelled by resurgent demand for hybrid vehicles in its home market.
BYD has benefited from strong domestic demand for its hybrid cars, and has also been making aggressive inroads into overseas markets.
By contrast, analysts warned figures for Tesla's first-quarter sales were likely to show a drop of more than 10 per cent, as demand in France and other European markets slumped in March despite a key model upgrade.
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The Shenzhen-based group said it delivered 986,098 passenger vehicles in the first quarter, of which 416,388 were pure EVs, up 39 per cent. The strong start to the year came after BYD's latest annual sales figures recently topped US$100 billion for the first time, propelled by resurgent demand for hybrid vehicles in its home market.
BYD has benefited from strong domestic demand for its hybrid cars, and has also been making aggressive inroads into overseas markets.
By contrast, analysts warned figures for Tesla's first-quarter sales were likely to show a drop of more than 10 per cent, as demand in France and other European markets slumped in March despite a key model upgrade.
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