Chinese automaker BYD has overtaken Tesla in global sales of electric vehicles in the first half of this year, reaching 641,350 units, compared to 564,000 for the American automaker.

According to a statement that is quoted by Notícias ao Minuto sent to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, BYD said it sold 641,350 units between January and June this year, compared to 154,579 sold in the same period last year, a year-on-year increase of 314%.

According to the source, this number contrasts with the electric vehicles made available by Tesla, which announced the sale of 564,000 vehicles in the first six months of 2022.

The company owned by Elon Musk justified that figure with "supply chain disruptions" and obstacles in operations in China caused by the blockade of Shanghai, the Asian country's economic "capital" due to epidemic prevention measures.

The figure illustrates the growing export capacity of Chinese automakers, according to analysts quoted by the Financial Times newspaper, who stressed that BYD is trying to manufacture products that cover many critical market sectors.

The executive vice president of the Chinese company, Lian Yubo, assured in an interview with Chinese state television CCTV that the company will supply lithium-ironphosphate (LFP) batteries "very soon," precisely to Tesla.

BYD, which produces batteries for its own electric and hybrid vehicles and is present in more than 200 countries, launched its Blade battery in 2020, based on LFP technology, ensuring that it is safer than other alternatives on the market because it has less tendency to overheat.

To date, Chinese giant CATL is the only company supplying LFP batteries to Tesla, which has been using them since 2020 for the cars it manufactures at its Shanghai plant.

According to Tesla, about half of the vehicles produced in the first quarter were equipped with LFP batteries, which are cheaper than the nickel-cobalt batteries commonly used in the West.

Source: News to the Minute