Electric vehicles might be the future, but profitability? That’s still a rare luxury in the EV world. An interesting study has revealed that just four EV-only brands are currently operating at a profit, while many others continue to bleed money at impressive rates. It probably won’t shock anyone that Tesla and BYD are leading the charge, but some of the other top-performing names are a bit less expected.

Read: Only 1 In 7 Of Today’s Chinese EV Brands Will Be Profitable By 2030, Analysts Claim

The study examined the operating income ratios of major EV brands and found that in 2024, Tesla reported an operating margin of 7.2%, putting it just ahead of BYD at 6.4%. However, while Tesla’s margin has declined since 2023, BYD’s has been climbing. If that trajectory holds, as many analysts expect, BYD could soon surpass Tesla in operating profitability.

Vertical Integration Pays Off

Key to the growth of both of these brands is that they are vertically integrated, helping them to scale and reach profitability sooner. The only other two brands analyzed by the study to have reached profitability are China’s Li Auto and the Series Group, which includes the Seres, Aito, and Landian brands.

While none of the other EV brands analyzed turned a profit in 2024, a few are edging closer. Zeekr, part of the Geely group, reported an operating margin of -8.5% last year. But with sales on the rise, it may soon begin delivering profits for its parent company. Xpeng and Leapmotor are also moving in the right direction, having more than halved their losses between 2023 and 2024.

Nio is another important player in China’s EV market, but not a profitable one. Its 2024 operating margin came in at over -30%, suggesting it still has a long climb ahead before it sees black ink on its balance sheet.

Tesla Stands Alone Outside China

Tesla remains the only non-Chinese EV brand to hit profitability. Polestar hasn’t crossed that threshold yet, though it did manage to reduce its losses in 2024. Similarly, Rivian also remains in the red, though like Polestar, it continues to receive substantial external funding.

At the other end of the spectrum, Lucid holds the dubious honor of running the steepest losses in the EV sector. According to data from Rho Motion, its 2024 operating margin was -374%. That’s an improvement from over -500% the year before, but still, not exactly a sign of financial health. Heavy backing from Saudi Arabia is helping Lucid stay afloat despite the massive shortfalls.

What a difference a year makes. Rewind the clock to early 2024 and Tesla’s European arm was basking in the glory of becoming the best-selling electric brand in the region for the whole of 2023, and the first company to put an EV – the Model Y – on top of the the overall sales chart.

Now, fresh sales data from 28 key markets, including the EU, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland, shows that not only are Tesla’s sales down, but the American EV brand is also being collectively outperformed by Chinese-owned automakers.

Related: Tesla’s European Sales Have Collapsed, Down 45% As EV Market Surges 31%

Figures from Jato Dynamics reveal Tesla sold 15,700 cars in February 2025, down from 28,100 a year earlier, a drop of 44 percent against an EV market that was up by 26 percent to 164,100 units. Chinese-owned brands clocked up 19,800 sales this February, throwing serious shade in Tesla’s direction and leaving us in no doubt that China is making serious inroads into the European car market. And it’s only just started.

Tesla’s Market Share Takes a Hit

Tesla’s poor performance cut its market share to 9.6 percent, its worst February showing for five years, and the automaker’s year-to-date market share is down from 18.4 percent to 7.7 percent compared with 2024’s numbers. One partial explanation for that is the arrival of the facelifted Model Y ‘Juniper,’ which was revealed in January of this year, but wasn’t immediately available in Europe. It’s only natural that buyers would want to wait for the new-look SUV.

Model Y sales fell 56 percent to 8,800 units, while Model 3 sales fell by a less extreme (but still worrying) 14 percent to 6,800 units, which Jato says indicates Tesla’s overall slide is less to do with anti-Elon Musk sentiment than the imminent arrival of the the new Y.

EV Sales by Brand, Feb 25

VW, Chinese Brands, and the New Wave

Whether the new model can fully reverse the slide remains to be seen, but we doubt it. The Juniper changes aren’t that comprehensive and Chinese brands (and legacy Western ones) are only increasing their attack on Tesla. BYD’s sales grew 94 percent to 4,436, Polestar was up 84 percent to 2,405, and newcomer XPeng logged 1,034 sales, representing an increase of 259 percent from February 2024.

The best-performing brand in terms of EV sales, however, was VW, whose registrations boomed 180 percent to 19,600. The German brand’s ID.4 was the third-best-selling EV behind the Model 3 and Model Y, and VW,’s ID.7 and ID.3 were in fifth and sixth spot, separated from the ID.4 by Renault’s Car of the Year-winning 5.

EV Sales by Model, Feb 25

The all-electric Xpeng G6 has only been available in certain markets for a couple of years now, and already, a heavily updated version has been launched in China. The 2025 G6 looks very similar to the model it replaces, but it brings several important upgrades that make it an even more compelling Tesla Model Y rival.

This year, all three versions of the G6 come equipped with new 5C ultra-fast charging batteries and an 800-volt electrical architecture. Xpeng says the batteries only need 12 minutes to be charged from 10-80% and that after being plugged in for just 10 minutes, the EV can get an impressive 280 miles (450 km) of charge.

Read: Xpeng’s G7 Is The Latest Flashy Electric SUV From China

Xpeng’s new batteries also perform better in cold conditions, taking a touch over 15 minutes to charge them from 10-80%, when it’s -30 degrees Celsius. New armor is wrapped around the battery pack and is reportedly capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1000°C and can withstand up to 80 tons of pressure during side impacts.

While the Chinese brand hasn’t published details about the capacity of the available batteries, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicates the 625 Long-Range Max Technology Edition and 625 Long-Range Max Ultimate Edition have a 68.5 kWh pack, while the flagship 725 Ultra-Long-Range Max Ultimate Edition has a 80.8 kWh pack. As you may have guessed, the ‘625’ models have 388 miles (625 km) of range, while the ‘725’ can travel 450 miles (725 km) on a single charge.

Powering all three models is a single electric motor at the rear wheels, producing 292 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. The 2025 Xpeng G6 can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in a respectable 6.3 seconds and tops out at 125 mph (202 km/h).

All G6 models come with the Turing AI intelligent driving system that features several cameras, millimeter-wave radars, and ultrasonic radars. Two new colors have also been added to the range – Starry Purple and Cloud Beige.

Updates made to the cabin of the G6 include a 9-inch digital rearview mirror, and new front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions.

Chinese prices start at 176,800 yuan (~$24,400) for the base model, rise to 186,800 yuan (~$25,800) for the mid-range version, and top out at 198,800 yuan (~$27,500) for the flagship 725 model.