The Tesla-versus-BYD rivalry is far fuzzier than it may seem

A snappy sales comparison is not a useful clock-timer for this race

- ANJANI TRIVEDI

All electric vehicles are not the same, nor are their makers. Investors lose businesses into one basket, regardless. The favourite rivalry these days is Tesla versus BYD. Looking for similarities between the two has been pronounced after the latter's vehicle sales surpassed the former's in 2022 in China. The world's largest electriccar makers going head-to-head in the world's No. 2 economy, competing for the top spot-what's not to compare? Plenty, actually. Start with the basics. In December, BYD sold 235,197 vehicles in China. Of those, 122,659 were plug-in hybrids and the rest were battery electrics, or BEVs. It sold over 900,000 of each type in 2022. Tesla made 55,796 BEVs in China last month and a total of over 700,000 for the year.Essentially, they compete in what investors would call a product segment-a slice of what the company does. Here's the thing: Hybrids and BEVS run on different technologies and power-trains. The cost of the car (including owning it) changes as does the choice between efficiency, range and performance. Hybrids can be as much as half the price, too. The merits of one versus the other is a separate debate. Critics say plug-ins aren't even green cars. The likes of Toyota, for instance, say hybrids lower emissions while being affordable. They are a compliance solution. Sweeping parallels can't be made.