BYD, the top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer on earth, has reduced its 2025 end of year sales forecast from 5.5 million cars to 4.6 million, a 16% cut that directly blames China’s overcrowded EV market, according to the company’s statement. This new target comes right after a 30% plunge in quarterly profits last week, shaking investors and confirming what the numbers were already saying. Deliveries in both July and August were nearly identical to the same period last year, offering no growth. Local rivals are flooding the market with cheaper models stacked with tech, and consumers are biting. The company, based in Shenzhen, now faces the rest of the year with that revised number hanging over its head and no room left for mistakes. BYD loses edge as rivals take customers Profits aren’t the only thing bleeding. BYD’s ability to grab more customers through aggressive discounting has been slammed by new restrictions from Beijing, which has started cracking down on wild price cuts that were once common. Without that tool, the company is now trying to survive in the busiest part of the year (September and October) by pushing full-priced models against cheaper, sleeker offerings from companies like Geely and Xpeng. Even newer players are chipping away. Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV came out of nowhere and gained traction fast, surprising both consumers and analysts. These models are loaded with features and priced to compete. As a result, BYD is being squeezed from all sides and can’t rely on discounts to fight back. Its shares fell by 2% in Hong Kong at Thursdsy’s market open, which suggests most investors had already braced for a drop. Analysts at Bloomberg are now estimating 4.5 million units sold by year-end. Eunice Lee, senior analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, said the company’s new number is “largely in line with buyside expectations now and should be achievable.” She added, “This could also be a near-term clearing event for the stock.” Still, hitting that lower number won’t be easy. The company’s brand strength is being tested daily by new models, tight margins, and tighter regulation. Even though BYD is still the biggest EV brand in China by volume, its lead is shrinking fast. The weapons it once used to dominate (scale, price, speed) are now liabilities in a crowded market that’s watching every yuan. Tesla goes public with robotaxi app in Austin While BYD fights to hold its ground in China, Tesla is opening up its robotaxi service to the public in the U.S. On Wednesday night, the company’s official Tesla Robotaxi account posted on social media platform X that the app is “now available to all.” This marks the first time the app isn’t limited to investors or influencers. The post included a link to Apple’s App Store, allowing users to download and join the waitlist. The rollout lines up with earlier comments from Elon Musk, who said the app would go public in September. Tesla originally launched the service in June, using about 10 to 20 Model Y SUVs in Austin, Texas for a small test group. Since then, it has quietly expanded into California, where it offers a non-autonomous rideshare service under the same branding, according to several X posts from Elon Musk. What’s not clear yet is whether the same app will work across both Austin and the Bay Area. The terms of service inside the app include legal details for California users, which hints at possible expansion, but there’s been no official word from Tesla on the exact locations that are live. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.
