Remember HiPhi, the ultra-futuristic EV brand led by Human Horizons? It’s been over a year since the company went on a six-month hiatus after failing to find additional funding, but it has reportedly found a savior in a Lebanese investor called EV Electra. EV Electra is taking over a majority stake and plans to resume vehicle development and production in China immediately.

HiPhi was a radical EV marque founded by Chinese startup Human Horizons over five years ago. The startup wowed us early on with a production-ready version of its flagship model, the HiPhi Z GT, complete with automatic suicide doors and a robotic touchscreen that moves independently.

The Z was joined by two robot-centric EV models, the HiPhi X “Super SUV” and the HiPhi Y “LuxTech SUV,” The Z and X EVs were actually certified for sale in Europe while Human Horizons teased a fourth model – a carbon fiber hypercar called the HiPhi A.

In early 2024, HiPhi showed its EV models weren’t just about robotic arms and futuristic designs, but could actually perform. The HiPhi Z shone during a winter range test in total distance traveled on a single charge and had the lowest range loss compared to what its makers advertised.

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Shortly thereafter, however, things went dark. During Chinese New Year, HiPhi announced a six-month shutdown while it searched for more funding. Human Horizons would fail in its search, resulting in the layoffs of most of its staff. That was over a year ago, but the lights at HiPhi’s Chinese manufacturing facility look like they’re about to be turned back on by a foreign financial backer with a cloudy history of its own.

EV Electra already has HiPhi models on its website

As reported by local Chinese media outlet 21jingi, multiple independent sources have stated that HiPhi has received an investment of $100 million from EV Electra, a Lebanese company founded in 2017 by Jihad Mohammad, claiming on its official website to be “the first electric car manufacturer in Lebanon and the Arab world.”

The reports appear accurate, as HiPhi’s three production models now appear on EV Electra’s website (pictured above). According to independent sources, EV Electra intends to help HiPhi maintain its previous production capacity of 150,000 units per year at its facility in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China.

Furthermore, that facility has reportedly already begun the necessary environmental assessment to resume EV production. Former HiPhi employees who did not sign a voluntary resignation agreement are reportedly being invited back to the company, but they are expected to see a 20% pay cut.

As of May 2022, Jihad Mohammad is the legal representative for HiPhi. EV Electra Ltd. owns 69.8% of the brand, while Human Horizons maintains the remaining 30.2%.

EV Electra’s website is quite confusing as it states it has a presence in Canada, Italy, Germany, Turkey, and China, yet its locations page lists footprints in Montreal, Lebanon, and Sweden. In 2023, Swedish media accused EV Electra of passing images of other OEMs’ vehicles off as its own, including the Skywell ET5, the K-1 Attack Rise, and SP:01 from Detroit Electric.

Per its website, EV Electra currently offers four very different models, which are built in Italy, specifically for Lebanon, I believe? This company is unique and confusing, to say the least. Hopefully, HiPhi has found a savior in EV Electra in a deal that works out for both parties. I’m not optimistic at this point.

In a “watershed moment,” BYD outsold Tesla in Europe after EV registrations surged over 350% in April. With its top-selling electric car launching this week, this could be just the start.

BYD expands in Europe as EV registrations rise in April

After crushing the competition in China, BYD is now becoming a global phenomenon. Last month, it outsold Tesla for the first time in Europe as several new EV models hit the market.

According to new data from Jato Dynamics, BYD’s registrations in Europe increased by 359% in April compared to last year.

Although those numbers include EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, even if you look at purely electric registrations, it’s clear that BYD is quickly outpacing the competition.

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BYD registered 7,231 EV models in Europe last month, an increase of 169% compared to April 2024. On the other hand, Tesla registered 7,165 EVs in April, down 49% from last year.

“Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous,” Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, explained. Munoz called it “a watershed moment for Europe’s car market.”

BYD officially began selling vehicles in Europe in late 2022, while Tesla has led the European electric vehicle market for years.

Last month, the top registered EVs in Europe included the Skoda Elroq (1), Volkswagen’s ID.3 (2), ID.7 (3), ID.4 (4), and the Kia EV3 (5).

Tesla’s Model Y was the ninth most registered EV in April, with 4,495 registrations, down 53% from last year. The Model 3 came in at number 24, with 2,604 registrations, down 41%. No BYD models placed in the top 25.

Just yesterday, BYD launched what could be its biggest hit so far in Europe, the Dolphin Surf. The Dolphin Surf is the European version of BYD’s best-selling EV, the Seagull, which is sold for under $10,000 in China.

The compact electric city car starts at 19,990 euros ($22,700), undercutting top-sellers including the VW ID.3, which starts at around 30,000 euros ($34,000).

The Dolphin Surf is the latest to join BYD’s rapidly expanding European EV lineup, which now includes a full lineup of premium models (Denzda), ultra-luxury (Yangwang), SUVs, sedans, and entry-level vehicles.

Electrek’s Take

To be fair, Tesla is still ahead of BYD in Europe by a wide margin through the first four months of 2025. However, BYD will likely see more demand with new vehicles rolling out throughout the year.

S&P Global Mobility expects BYD to more than double its sales in Europe in 2025 to around 186,000 units. By the end of the decade, BYD’s volume in Europe could reach around 400,000.

While Tesla faces slower sales over CEO Elon Musk’s political stunts and support for US President Donald Trump, BYD is taking advantage. And it’s not just in Europe.

Earlier this month, BYD had its best sales week of the year in China, with nearly 68,000 registrations from May 5 to May 11. Tesla had just over 3,000 registrations during the same week.

Will BYD continue gaining ground on Tesla and other global automakers with new vehicles rolling out? Let us know your thoughts below.