The EV market looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Since then, virtually every major automaker has poured billions into electrification, and global EV sales have grown from a niche segment into a mainstream force. Tesla held the title of the world's top-selling EV brand through 2024 — then lost it in 2025. BYD closed out the year having delivered about 2.26 million battery-electric vehicles — roughly a 28% jump from the year before, well ahead of the 1.64 million vehicles Tesla delivered over the same twelve months. Whether you've heard of BYD before or not, it's the most important EV brand in the world right now, and its chairman has said the company aims to become the world's largest automaker within five years.