Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD (OTC:BYDDY)(OTC:BYDDF) overtook the global EV crown from Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and may be doing everything it can to not only keep the crown, but extend its lead.

BYD Exports Shine, Could They Overshadow Tesla Deliveries?

The markets were eagerly awaiting first-quarter delivery totals from Tesla, which came in at 358,023, shy of consensus estimates.

Tesla's delivery total was up 6% year-over-year, but came in down 14% from the previous quarter.

While there was some optimism from the figure and the year-over-year growth, the number may look even worse when compared to BYD.

A new report says BYD exported 321,165 vehicles in the first quarter. That's 90% of Tesla's global delivery figure for the same total and this is the vehicles BYD sold outside its home and largest market.

BYD also sold a total of 300,222 vehicles domestically and as exports in March, according to Electrek. That monthly total is close to the number of vehicles Tesla sells in a quarter.

BYD's Global Ambitions

Tesla has plans to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles outside of China in 2026, a goal it told analysts it was "highly confident" of Monday, as reported by Reuters. The company previously set a goal of 1.3 million exports, so the target may have increased in recent months.

After dominating China, BYD has been aggressive with expansion into Europe. BYD is dominating Tesla in Europe. In February, BYD had 15,438 deliveries, up 185.3% year-over-year. Tesla had 13,740 deliveries in February, up 29.1% year-over-year.

BYD is also expanded to Southeast Asia, Central America and South America. The company also has its eyes set on Canada, eyeing potential acquisitions in the country. The Chinese EV giant is also eyeing a potential Formula 1 entry to expand its global brand recognition.

Also, potentially helping brand awareness, a partnership with James Bond actor Daniel Craig.

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