6 Million Cars and a Rapid Surge for BYD

The Chinese automaker BYD has now produced over 6 million electrified vehicles since 2008.

BYD decided to cease internal combustion engine vehicle production in April 2022. By taking the exclusive path of hybrids and full electric vehicles, the group was able to focus on its core business, as it should be recalled that BYD originally started as a battery manufacturer and is now the global leader in that field. The current range includes 100% electric vehicles, electric vehicles with range extenders, and plug-in hybrids. 

The six millionth vehicle produced by BYD is a Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 5, a long 5-meter plug-in hybrid SUV with a cheerful power of 680 horsepower. It is produced at the Zhengzhou factory and was unveiled last August before starting to be delivered a few weeks ago at less than 45,000 euros, excluding Europe of course. The choice of this vehicle is certainly not accidental as it directly rivals Toyota’s Land Cruiser, the world’s best-selling vehicle. It’s a way of saying that while it’s nice to play with Tesla, the ultimate goal is to become the caliph instead of the caliph.

Beyond this figure of 6 million, BYD’s sales growth is astonishing. It took 13 years for BYD to produce its first million electrified vehicles, then only one year to reach its second million. The third million was achieved in just six months, and the fourth and fifth millions were reached in nine months. The six million mark was crossed in only three months. Yes, BYD produced 3 million vehicles in just 12 months!

American Tesla, on the other hand, crossed the milestone of 5 million units produced in September 2023, but with an exclusively electric lineup, making it the world’s leading seller of 100% electric cars today. It is expected that the electric vehicle manufacturer will surpass 6 million at the beginning of 2024, thanks to the ramp-up of its Shanghai Gigafactory, Berlin Gigafactory, and Texas Gigafactory.

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