Former Jeep brand CEO Antonio Filosa, now head of Stellantis, took a shot at BYD over EV sales. BYD responded with the perfect comeback.
Stellantis and BYD trade shots over German EV sales
So, who really sold more electric vehicles? Stellantis’ CEO claimed that its joint venture, Leapmotor, outsold BYD in the heart of Europe during an investor conference last week.
“Last month, I believe that Leapmotor sold more BEVs than BYD in Germany,” Filosa said at the event. BYD wasted no time, responding in a press release issued on Friday.
BYD fired back, saying it registered 8,610 vehicles in Germany in the first eight months of 2025, more than double Leapmotor’s 3,536.
After checking official data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), BYD registered 8,563 passenger vehicles through August, compared to Leapmotor with 3,531. Broken down by powertrain, BYD registered 5,809 all-electric vehicles (EVs) and 2,844 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), compared to Leapmotor’s 3,083 EVs and 448 PHEVs.
BYD also boasted that it outsold Alfa Romeo and nearly Jeep, two other Stellantis-owned brands, during the same period.
Alfa Romeo registered 5,222 vehicles through August, while Jeep had 8,884, barely beating out BYD. However, Jeep only sold 350 EVs and 569 PHEVs during the period. Alfa Romeo sold just 140 all-electric vehicles.
A Stellantis spokesperson clarified (via Bloomberg) that Filosa’s comments “referred only to the month of August, when Leapmotor was indeed the first Chinese brand in the country, with the highest number of battery-electric vehicle registrations and market share.” But was it really? Not according to KBA data.
Electrek’s Take
It looks like Filosa was referring to just one model, the Leapmotor T03, which was the top-selling EV in Germany last month.
Either way, taking a jab at BYD, which is quickly gaining market share not just in Europe, but in nearly all global markets (outside of the US), is bold.
It will be interesting to see how sales shape up at the end of the year in Germany and overall Europe. Both BYD and Leapmotor are expanding with new models launching, including entry-level EVs like the Dolphin Surf (BYD) and Leapmotor B05.
Source: Bloomberg, KBA
