BYD posted higher sales growth in May for the first time in eight months, driven by record overseas demand. With orders for new vehicles equipped with its new battery and charging tech surging, BYD is now struggling to meet demand.
BYD overseas sales boost demand in May
While the storyline over the past few months has been about BYD’s slowing growth, sales rebounded in May, with 383,453 new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold.
Although it was only slightly higher than it sold in May 2025, it was enough to end an eight-month streak of lower year-over-year sales growth.
BYD’s sales were up nearly 20% from the 321,123 NEVs it sold in April. By powertrain, the company sold 198,674 purely electric vehicles (EVs) in May, up 27% from the month prior. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales rose 14% from April to 178,316 units.
Overseas sales were the biggest highlight, surpassing 160,000 for the first time last month, up 80% from May 2025 and 19% from the previous record of 135,098 set in April.
Through the first five months of 2026, BYD sold 616,263 vehicles overseas. In May, overseas sales accounted for over 41% of BYD’s total sales.
In several major markets, including the UK, BYD surpassed Tesla and Kia to become the best-selling EV brand through April.
“With fuel prices remaining high, more drivers are turning to electric vehicles as a smarter and more economical choice,” Bono Ge, BYD UK’s Country Manager, said last month.
BYD already offers some of the most affordable electric vehicles in the UK, with the Dolphin Surf starting at just £18,650, and soon it will launch the Dolphin G DM-i.
More competitive vehicles coming soon
After unveiling the new PHEV model last week, BYD said it was the first car it had developed specifically for overseas markets.
Using its “game-changing” Super Hybrid (DM-i) PHEV system, the Dolphin G DM-i achieves a combined WLTP driving range of over 1,000 km (621 miles).
“By bringing long electric range, intelligent hybrid technology and advanced digital features into an accessible compact vehicle, we are making sustainable mobility smarter, more practical and available to many more people across Europe,” BYD’s executive vice president, Stella Li, said.
At just 4,160 mm long and 1,825 mm wide, the plug-in hatch is about the size of the Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris, both of which feature a standard hybrid setup rather than a PHEV.
The Dolphin G DM-i will go on sale in Europe and the UK in the coming weeks as a PHEV sibling to the Dolphin Surf. BYD has yet to reveal prices, but it’s expected to start at under £20,000 ($27,000) as the UK’s smallest PHEV.
BYD is also bringing its new Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging tech to Europe, the UK, and other overseas markets this year, starting with the Denza Z9 GT.
After launching several vehicles equipped with the new tech in China over the past few months, BYD’s CEO Wang Chuanfu acknowledged that demand has exceeded its production capacity, with orders for some models reaching over 100,000.
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