Can Asian EVs Turn The Screws On Tesla?

In a Reddit community of some 338,000 electric vehicle enthusiasts, knives are out against Elon Musk, and by association, Tesla.

“Finally did it. Out with the Tesla” reads one of the top posts this month. “It feels good to drive a non fascist EV doesn’t it?” one commentator writes in response. Another laments that he loves his Tesla but feels guilty owning it. A third says he’s just bought his Tesla a bumper sticker that reads: "I bought this before we knew he was crazy”.

This community obviously is by no means a reflection of the views of all EV users on Tesla. But when seen together with its tanking sales from California to Australia, and Europe’s growing “Tesla shame”, they point to a potential opening in the EV market.

An opening that could turn Tesla’s losses into a windfall for its rivals - especially those out of Asia.

At the top of the potential list of winners are, undeniably, Chinese EV-makers that have stunned the market with cheap cars that rival the efficiency and technology of those priced twice as much. BYD, Xpeng and more, recently, Xiaomi, have seen fast growth this past year, and even have Ford’s CEO hooked. These guys aren’t just winning on their home turf… they’re also targeting every foreign market they can sell to.

Where they can’t reach — the United States — their Korean and Japanese counterparts are on fire. Hyundai, along with its brands Kia and Genesis, was the second best-selling EV group after Tesla in the US last year. It extended that run in January, selling its highest-ever number of vehicles to Americans.

Japan’s Honda has been on a wild ride too. Its electric SUV Prologue became the seventh best-selling EV in the US in just 10 months on the market. In January, the car outsold top models from Hyundai, Kia and even Ford.

Now don’t get me wrong, all these guys have their work cut-out for them. Competing with the likes of Ford and Volkswagen, and each other, while managing tariffs and changing global politics will not be easy.

But stealing market share from Tesla could get easier than ever.

Affordability + innovation = 🕺🏽

Back to Asian EVs: If you’re wondering what makes them click, the answer lies in those two words above. While Tesla has abandoned the dream of the affordable electric car, companies like BYD are saying: how low can we go? On price, of course.

BYD is also bringing some of the best tech — including automation and even DeepSeek — to its cheapest models. Its rivals such as Hyundai are already well-regarded in terms of technology and efficiency. Plus, Korea and China have gone all guns blazing into investing in EV technology. That’s a far cry from the US, where EV tax credits are done for, funds for public charging have been frozen and President Trump is committed to bringing back the plastic straw.

Asian carmakers are also well-suited to meet market-demand, with a firm expansion to hybrid cars, which have become a favourite for drivers making a switch from gasoline-powered vehicles. Tesla has no PHEV models and its line-up is now seen as an aging empire, one that the Cybertruck has not helped.

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