Finance
Italy's new car sales down 2.12% in 2025 as Chinese brands gain market share
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Italy's car sales fell 2.12% in 2025, with Chinese brands like BYD gaining market share. BYD outsold Tesla globally, marking a shift in the electric vehicle market.
MILAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Sales of new cars in Italy fell by 2.12% last year to 1.53 million units with Chinese brand BYD performing strongly, transport ministry data showed on Friday.
In December, new car sales increased by 2.2% from a year earlier to 108,075, the ministry said.
BYD, which has expanded its retail network in Italy to over 100 outlets selling both electric and hybrid models, recorded an eight-fold surge in sales in the country last year, to almost 24,000 vehicles from fewer than 3,000 in 2024.
In December it sold 3,347 new cars, up 428% year-on-year, ahead of releasing its latest Atto2 DMI plug-in model.
Orders for the vehicle, which will hit the market in the first quarter, are doing well, it said in a statement.
Rapid growth in Europe has helped BYD strip Tesla of its title as the world's top electric vehicle maker, with data showing on Friday the Chinese car maker outsold Tesla in 2025 for the first time on an annual basis.
Tesla, whose global sales fell around 8.6% in 2025, posted an 18% decline in sales of its electric vehicles in Italy last year, despite an 85% jump in December compared to the same month of 2024.
Registrations of new cars for market leader Stellantis, whose brands include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep, Peugeot and Opel, fell 5.54% in December versus last year, Reuters calculations showed.
Its market share shrank to 21.5%, according to the same calculations, compared to 23.8% in November.
(Reporting by Valentina Za and Gianluca Semeraro; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Market share is the percentage of an industry's sales that a particular company controls. It is an important indicator of a company's competitiveness and performance within its industry.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars that are powered by electricity instead of gasoline or diesel. They use electric motors and batteries to operate, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional vehicles.
Consumer perception refers to the way consumers view and interpret a brand or product based on their experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. It significantly influences their purchasing decisions.
The automotive industry encompasses all companies and activities involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It includes automakers, suppliers, and dealerships.
Electric models run entirely on electricity, while hybrid models combine a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Both aim to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.
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