[DigitalToday intern reporter Seung-a Yoo (유승아)] BYD posted deliveries of 557,090 pure electric vehicles (EVs) in the second quarter of 2026, reclaiming the global lead in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market.

Electrek, an electric-vehicle outlet, reported on July 1 (local time) that Tesla deliveries for the period are estimated at about 396,500. That put BYD ahead by more than 160,000 vehicles.

The result marks a shift from the first quarter. Tesla narrowly led BYD in global BEV sales in the first quarter of 2026, but that was largely because BYD sales in China temporarily slowed. China scrapped an exemption on electric-vehicle purchase tax, shaking BYD’s domestic sales and briefly narrowing the gap.

In the second quarter, BYD’s expanding overseas sales is cited as the key factor that widened the gap again. BYD is rapidly broadening its push into Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. The company said it expects overseas sales to reach 1.5 million vehicles in 2026, above its official target of 1.3 million.

The 557,090 figure counts only pure electric vehicles, excluding plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). It aligns the basis for comparison because Tesla sells only battery electric vehicles. Including plug-in hybrids would lift BYD’s total sales of new energy vehicles further.

The gap between the two was also clear last year. BYD sold 2,256,714 pure electric vehicles in 2025, outpacing Tesla, which was limited to 1,636,129, by more than 600,000. The trend was not confined to China. BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for several consecutive months and maintained an edge in two of Europe’s largest EV markets. Tesla’s European registrations, by contrast, continued to fall.

Tesla is scheduled to announce its official second-quarter delivery results on July 2. Wall Street consensus is about 406,000, while a Bloomberg-compiled estimate is about 396,500. The figures differ, but the direction is the same. Tesla’s sales growth has stalled, while BYD sales continue to rise.

Still, Tesla’s final results could exceed market expectations. Some observations suggest Tesla could top estimates in second-quarter deliveries and come close to about 450,000. Tesla held about 50,000 unsold vehicles as inventory at the end of the first quarter and may have reduced part of that inventory with international sales and demand for the new Model Y.

Even so, the key point this quarter is that the ranking itself does not change. Even if Tesla posts 450,000, it would still trail BYD’s 557,090 by about 100,000. The headline number may change, but the outcome does not, underscoring that BYD is the world’s largest pure electric vehicle maker and that the gap is not a temporary phenomenon.

Against this backdrop, market attention is focused on Tesla’s official second-quarter figure, whether it cleared inventory, and whether BYD’s overseas sales expansion will continue into the second half. If BYD’s expansion continues in Europe and emerging markets, the global competitive landscape for EV sales could be reshaped more quickly.