BYD production snowballs as it celebrates rolling five millionth plug-in EV off the assembly line

While some EV automaker’s are working to deliver EV numbers in the tens of thousands, China’s Build Your Dreams (BYD) is on an entirely different level. The automotive manufacturing conglomerate is celebrating five million new energy vehicles (NEVs) built – a feat in it of itself, but an even greater tell to just how quickly BYD’s production lines are expanding.

Since its inception in 1995, BYD has quickly risen through the ranks as a major global manufacturer, excelling especially in electric vehicles and the battery technology. Including the commercial side of its new energy vehicles (BEVs and plug-in hybrids), BYD has a presence in 400 cities across more than 70 countries.

On the passenger side of EVs, we’ve seen BYD extent its footprint more recently to markets like Japan and Europe, delivering vehicles like the super popular ATTO 3. From a production standpoint, BYD builds NEVs beyond China, including plans for three new facilities in Brazil and a potential $1 billion plant in India that currently sits on shaky ground.

BYD describes itself as a “driving force in the industry” (not sure if pun was intended there but hope so), and it has the production clout to back it up. If you aren’t already aware of the BYD name, you soon will as the automaker continues to expand its lineup of brands, the EVs those marques offer, and the amount of assembly lines needed to keep up.

A better question is probably, can everyone else keep up?

BYD’s production ramp up outpaces… well, everyone

BYD Auto’s five millionth new energy vehicle to roll off its assembly lines in China was an N7 SUV from its Denza sub-brand (seen above). As it proclaims itself as the first global automaker to reach five million NEVs (BEVs and plug-in hybrids), BYD has a lot to celebrate – but a more impressive statistic is how quickly the manufacturer got here.

The company points out that it took 13 years to reach one million NEVs produced, but here’s where things get interesting. From there, it only took BYD Auto another 18 months to reach three million, then another 9 months from there to reach five million, helping garner over $1.86 million in sales last year.

Needless to say, BYD’s production lines are humming and showing no signs of slowing down. Per BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu:

Today marks a historic moment for BYD as we witness our 5 millionth new energy vehicle rolls off the production line. On this special occasion, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our customers across the globe for their trust in our products, our partners in the industry for this journey shared together, and every one of our employees whose hard work and dedication have made this landmark possible.

This year alone (through July), BYD says it has sold over 1.5 million, 92,469 of which came from markets outside of China like Europe for instance. While that’s a relatively small number compared to overall sales, it’s already more than double the company’s 2022 total – a sure sign that sales (and coinciding production levels) are on track to grow as BYD continues expanding to new territories.

Looking ahead, BYD looks to continue to invest big bucks in R&D and continue to expand its quest to become a household name around the globe. Per its release:

In the future, BYD, already taking the lead in the new energy revolution, will remain true to its aspiration of eco-friendliness and provide better mobility experiences to more customers around the world, accelerating the transition towards a greener future and contributing to its vision to Cool the Earth by 1°C.

Check out a video of the 5 millionth NEV celebration here: