Archive · 4 Jan 2026
Elon Musk's 2011 Mockery of BYD Backfires
A long time ago, Elon Musk laughed at a Chinese car company called BYD, saying their cars weren't good.
But now, BYD has sold more electric cars than Tesla, making it the biggest electric car company in the world.
Tesla's sales went down because other companies like BYD offer cheaper cars, and some people didn't like Tesla because of Elon Musk's political actions.
Even though a US president praised Musk, it didn't help Tesla sell more cars.
Musk later admitted that BYD's cars are now very competitive.
Elon Musk dismissed BYD as a serious competitor in a 2011 interview, calling their cars unattractive and technologically weak.
BYD overtook Tesla as the world's largest electric car maker in 2024, selling 2.26 million vehicles compared to Tesla's 1.63 million.
Tesla's sales decline is attributed to increased competition, the expiration of US EV tax credits, and brand backlash due to Musk's political involvement.
Musk acknowledged BYD's competitiveness in a 2023 social media post, stating that their cars are highly competitive now.
Despite a US president's endorsement, Tesla's sales continued to decline, marking its second year of annual sales decrease.
- Who
- Elon Musk, BYD, Tesla
- What
- Elon Musk's 2011 dismissal of BYD as a competitor backfires as BYD overtakes Tesla in EV sales
- When
- 2011, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Where
- Global, primarily China and the US
- Why
- BYD's competitive pricing, broader model range, and Tesla's declining sales due to competition, tax credit expiration, and brand backlash
- BYD Sales (2024)
- 2.26 million
- Tesla Sales (2024)
- 1.63 million
- Tesla Sales Decline (2024)
- 9%
- US EV Tax Credit
- $7,500 (ended late 2025)
- Musk's Response (2023)
- BYD cars are highly competitive now