BYD and Tesla must watch out for this new collaboration between legendary German and Korean manufacturers. The past decade has been defined by the rise in electric engine technology to provide the automobile world with the necessary technology needed to transition from the internal combustion engine to more sustainable solutions amidst the ongoing energy crisis. While BYD and Tesla have competed for dominance regarding this technology, other competitors continue to rise.
BYD and Tesla dominate the electric engine market
The rivalry between Chinese electric automobile developer BYD and American electric automobile developer Tesla has accelerated in the past two years as the two companies fight to retain global dominance of total electric vehicle sales. Tesla first rose to fame a decade ago with the release of their first luxury electric vehicle models, reaching unprecedented success with these vehicles. Coupled with advanced battery engine technology and strategic positioning of electric vehicles as representations of the future, the company greatly influenced the rapid increase in demand for electric engine technology, going on to dominate the market for years.
Recently, however, the industry has largely caught up, and competitors like BYD have emerged as a strong competitor for Tesla vehicles by providing equally robust technology as the American company, but with a friendlier entry-level price point. This year, BYD surpassed Tesla in terms of total global electric vehicle sales and is projected to exit 2025 as the global electric vehicle leader. However, Tesla continues to lead in the US market, holding a domestic 43% market share as of September 2025.
New competition for BYD and Tesla from BMW
While BYD and Tesla continue to compete for electric vehicle dominance, they may also need to watch out for BMW. The German automobile company has continued to produce its own advanced alternative engine technology and has not limited itself to electric vehicles. This year, the company announced that it is teaming up with Japanese automobile developer Toyota to bring the first hydrogen-powered BMW to the roads.
On top of these developments, BMW recently announced that it would be teaming up with Korean-based Samsung SDI, along with local company Solid Power, to advance its all-solid-state battery technology. BMW and Solid State have collaborated since 2022 on this technology. The inclusion of Samsung SDI intends to bring its expertise in large-scale cell manufacturing materials and technology to accelerate the process.
The new partnership will see Samsung SDI produce all-solid-state cells with Solid Power’s sulfide-based solid electrolyte. BMW will continue to focus on developing the battery packs and modules. All-solid-state batteries are considered to be the next generation of electric vehicle battery technology, providing higher energy density, faster charging, and a longer lifespan.
“[T]he solid-state battery has a solid electrolyte material, which offers far-reaching capabilities than traditional batteries, such as higher energy density, high specific energy, and better safety,” describes authors Aniruddha Joshi, Dillip Kumar Mishra, Rajendra Singh, Jiangfeng Zhang, and Yi Ding in their paper titled A Comprehensive Review of Solid-State Batteries (2025).
Collaboration over profit among competitors
As the automobile industry continues to strive towards a more energy-conscious and sustainable world, more companies and developers are teaming up, like BMW and Samsung SDI, in order to ensure that alternative engine adoption becomes increasingly more widespread. By centering a collaborative approach, resources and expertise can be shared, ensuring the continued prioritisation of the planet over competition.
Toyota has been particularly influential in this approach. From their partnership with BMW to their collaboration with local Japanese automobile competitors such as Mazda and Subaru, the company has continued to share its knowledge to push for the adoption of alternative engine technology by developing myriad solutions for companies and consumers to draw upon to move away from the internal combustion engine and associated fossil fuels.
Disclaimer: Our coverage of events affecting companies is purely informative and descriptive. Under no circumstances does it seek to promote an opinion or create a trend, nor can it be taken as investment advice or a recommendation of any kind.
