Tesla still sells more than half of all electric cars in the US. BYD, the world’s top-selling EV maker, can’t legally sell a single passenger car there.
Key points
- Tesla sold an estimated 144,094 EVs in the US in the third quarter of 2026, about 54% of the entire US EV market, according to Cox Automotive/Kelley Blue Book estimates.
- Tesla’s US EV sales were down roughly 20% year over year, even as the brand’s market share grew.
- BYD, the world’s biggest seller of electric and plug-in hybrid cars, still cannot sell passenger vehicles to US consumers because of tariffs that currently run as high as 100% on Chinese-made EVs.
- BYD does sell electric buses and other commercial vehicles built in California, and it is suing the US government over the legal basis of the tariffs – but no US passenger-car launch has been confirmed.
There’s no real “Tesla vs. BYD” story in the United States yet, because BYD isn’t allowed to compete here. Tesla sold an estimated 144,094 electric vehicles in the US in the third quarter of 2026 – more than half of every EV sold in the country – while BYD, the world’s largest EV and plug-in hybrid maker, remains shut out of the passenger-car market entirely.
In France, the UK and much of Europe, BYD and Tesla are now genuine rivals, with BYD often outselling Tesla outright. In the US, the comparison breaks down at the first step: tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-built electric vehicles, imposed under Section 301 of US trade law, have kept BYD passenger cars out of American showrooms entirely.
That leaves Tesla facing a different kind of competition at home – from Toyota, Rivian, Subaru and a resurgent field of EV models – rather than from the Chinese brand reshaping markets overseas.
Tesla’s US numbers in detail
Tesla’s US sales fell year over year even as its share of a smaller EV market grew. Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book EV sales estimates put Tesla’s Q3 2026 US sales at 144,094 vehicles, down about 20% from 179,525 in the same quarter of 2025. The Model Y accounted for about 69% of Tesla’s US sales, with the Model 3 making up most of the rest.
| Metric | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla US EV sales (est.) | 144,094 | 179,525 | -19.7% |
| Total US EV sales (est.) | 266,630 | not stated separately | +7.7% vs. Q2 2026 |
| Tesla US market share | ~54% | ~53% | roughly stable |
| BYD US passenger car sales | 0 | 0 | not sold in the US |
Source: Cox Automotive: Q3 2026 EV Sales and Kelley Blue Book estimates, as reported by TeslaNorth, 13 October 2026. These are estimated retail sales, not official government registration counts; the US does not publish a single centralized new-vehicle registration count the way France’s PFA or the UK’s SMMT do.
Overall US EV sales reached about 266,630 in Q3 2026, up 7.7% from the second quarter but still well below the record pace of 2025, as federal EV tax credits that expired in 2026 continue to cool demand across the market.
Why BYD still can’t sell cars here
BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s largest seller of fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars combined back in 2024, and it has since expanded aggressively into Europe, Latin America, Canada and Mexico. The United States is the major exception.
Tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles were raised to 100% under Section 301 of US trade law in 2024, on top of existing duties, effectively pricing BYD passenger cars out of the US market. BYD has not announced any US passenger-car launch, and as of early 2026 it was still suing the US government over the legal basis for related tariff actions – a dispute over trade law, not a sign that market access is imminent.
BYD does have a US footprint: its BYD Motors subsidiary builds electric buses in Lancaster, California, for transit agencies, and the company also manufactures electric forklifts in Southern California. None of that is a passenger car a US consumer can walk into a dealership and buy.
Who’s actually challenging Tesla in the US
With BYD absent, the brands actually taking share from Tesla in the US are domestic and Japanese: Toyota and Lexus EV sales rose nearly fivefold year over year in Q3 2026, while Rivian grew 46% and Subaru 31%, according to Cox Automotive. Ford, GM’s Chevrolet Equinox EV and Hyundai/Kia models round out the field.
What this means for US EV shoppers
- BYD models sold in Europe, Mexico or Canada are not available for purchase, import or warranty service in the US.
- Tesla remains the default market leader, but its sales volume is shrinking as tax credits expire – check current incentive status before buying.
- Growing competition is coming from Toyota, Rivian, Subaru and traditional automakers’ EV lines, not from Chinese brands.
- Watch BYD’s tariff litigation and any Mexico-built-for-US-export plans; either could change this picture, but neither has happened yet.
In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, BYD and Tesla are close competitors. In the UK and France, BYD has pulled sharply ahead on volume. In the US, the race hasn’t started – one of the two cars isn’t allowed on the track.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a BYD car in the United States?
No. As of November 2026, BYD does not sell passenger cars to US consumers. Tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-made EVs, in place since 2024, have kept BYD out of the US passenger-vehicle market.
Does BYD sell anything in the US?
Yes, but not cars for consumers. BYD’s US subsidiary builds electric buses in Lancaster, California, for public transit agencies, and the company also makes electric forklifts in Southern California.
How much of the US EV market does Tesla have?
An estimated 54% in the third quarter of 2026, according to Cox Automotive/Kelley Blue Book, even though Tesla’s own US sales volume fell about 20% year over year as the overall EV market cooled.
Could BYD start selling cars in the US soon?
There is no confirmed timeline. BYD has challenged US tariff policy in court, but that is a legal dispute over duties already paid, not evidence of an imminent US passenger-car launch.
Do you think BYD should be allowed to sell cars in the US, or do the tariffs protect a market Tesla and domestic automakers built? Let us know in the comments.
Sources and status
- Cox Automotive: Q3 2026 EV Sales, published 12 October 2026
- TeslaNorth: Tesla Still Sells Over Half of America’s EVs, 13 October 2026, citing Kelley Blue Book/Cox Automotive data
- CarNewsChina: US Supreme Court tariff ruling arms BYD lawsuit, auto duties still bite, 21 February 2026
- Automotive World: BYD sues US government over tariff authority, February 2026
- Net Trends editorial calculations (shares, year-over-year changes) based on the Cox Automotive/Kelley Blue Book figures above
Research and data as of: 12 November 2026.
Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval. Country edition based on an article from Net Trends, researched for the United States. Lead image: card drawn by the editorial team with figures and source note, photo: Luke Miller / Pexels.
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