In October 2025, the compact Wuling Mini EV from China outsold the Tesla Model Y worldwide, signaling a shift toward affordable electric vehicles. Global plug-in vehicle registrations rose 10% year-over-year to over 1.9 million units. This marked a challenging month for Tesla amid market slowdowns in key regions.
October 2025 highlighted a changing landscape in the electric vehicle market, where the diminutive Wuling Mini EV claimed the top sales spot with 61,515 units registered globally. This micro-car, popular in China, surpassed the Tesla Model Y, which recorded 53,320 units—a 37% decline from the previous year. The Tesla Model 3 fared worse, landing in 14th place with 19,961 units, down 25% year-over-year and marking its poorest performance in over three years.
The overall plug-in vehicle sector grew modestly by 10% compared to October 2024, reaching more than 1.9 million registrations. However, regional variations were stark. In the US, registrations plummeted nearly 50% year-over-year, contributing to Tesla's slump. China saw only 7% growth, while Europe surged 38% and the rest of the world 35%, with standout increases in Turkiye (157%) and Indonesia (101%).
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 19% of the global auto market that month, rising to 28% when including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). PHEVs dipped 5% globally to about 600,000 units, largely due to an 11% drop in China; excluding China, they grew 19% year-over-year.
Chinese brands dominated the rankings. Geely's Xingyuan took third place with over 44,000 units, while BYD placed seven models between fourth and eleventh. New entrants like Xiaomi's YU7 SUV debuted in seventh with more than 33,000 units, and BYD's premium Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 SUV entered the top 20 with 20,000 registrations in its second month.
At the brand level, BYD held a 22.2% share (slightly down from September), followed by Geely with 127,000 units and Wuling with 102,000—its first six-figure month. Tesla delivered around 76,000 vehicles, a 36% year-over-year fall and its weakest since July 2022. Smaller players like Leapmotor achieved 70,000 units, bolstered by exports to markets such as Israel and Poland.
Looking ahead, the Tesla Model Y and BYD Song are poised to lead year-to-date sales for 2025, but the Model 3 faces pressure from the Geely Xingyuan. Projections indicate the Geely model could overtake the Model 3 in 2026, with the sedan potentially losing its top-EV status by 2027 to rivals like the Wuling Mini EV and BYD Seagull.