The Chinese manufacturer delivered 557,090 electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, compared to Tesla's 480,126. The company aims to become the largest manufacturer in the world in five years.
BYD has made a significant impact in the automotive industry. The Chinese company delivered 557,090 fully electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, clearly surpassing Tesla for the first time, which recorded 480,126 units. This milestone consolidates BYD as the undisputed leader in pure electric vehicles and reinforces its ambition to dethrone Toyota as the largest manufacturer in the world within five years, as stated by Executive Vice President Stella Li.
The gap with the Japanese company remains colossal: BYD sold 4.5 million vehicles in 2025, compared to over 10.5 million from Toyota. But the trend is clear. While Tesla is losing momentum in Europe, BYD is growing at an unstoppable pace. In 2025, Tesla's registrations in the continent fell by 26.9%, to 238,656 units, while BYD's skyrocketed by 270%, reaching 187,657 cars. In the first five months of 2026, BYD accelerated even further: it grew by 145% in Europe, to 135,307 units, compared to Tesla's 57%.
The 2.8% market share that BYD achieved in Europe in May already surpasses Ford, Tesla, and Nissan. To sustain this pace, the group plans to invest around 2 billion euros in the installation of approximately 3,000 fast charging points across the continent by 2027. Additionally, in the premium segment, it has launched the Denza Z, an electric supercar starting at £142,900.
Brazil, a Platform for Latin American Conquest
On July 16, BYD produced its 100,000th vehicle at the Camaçari plant in the Brazilian state of Bahia. This is the largest factory of the group outside China, covering 4.6 million square meters with an investment of 5.5 billion reais. Opened on July 1, 2025, its initial capacity is 150,000 units per year, and starting in August 2026, it will incorporate presses, bodywork, and painting to reach 300,000 units per year.
The workforce already exceeds 5,500 employees, and management has set a localization rate target of 50% by early 2027, aiming to become the best-selling brand in Brazil by 2030. In fact, BYD is already the fourth brand in the country with over 100,000 units sold in the first half, surpassing Hyundai, and has export orders for 100,000 vehicles for Argentina and Mexico.
However, not all news is positive at the Brazilian plant. A union assembly held on July 9 reported hundreds of cases of moral and sexual harassment in Camaçari. BYD rejected the mass accusations, stating that they were merely isolated incidents, and defended its zero-tolerance policy with an anonymous reporting channel. The union is also demanding a 15% salary increase, an increase in the food voucher to 850 reais, and concrete measures against harassment.
China Cools While Exports Soar
The external dynamism contrasts with the weakness of the domestic Chinese market. In the first half of 2026, BYD sold 1,777,321 vehicles worldwide, a 16.1% year-on-year decrease, but deliveries within China plummeted by 45.9%, to 795,169 units. However, exports grew by 65.3%, and the company has raised its overseas sales target for 2026 to 1.5 million vehicles.
CEO Wang Chuanfu reiterated at the June shareholders' meeting the goal of becoming the world's largest manufacturer by volume within three to five years. BYD already has production plants outside China in Hungary, Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil. In Southeast Asia, the Rayong factory (Thailand) — the group's first passenger car base outside China — has surpassed 130,000 accumulated units in its second anniversary, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and 93% of its more than 5,000 employees being Thai nationals.
In Pakistan, BYD's largest shipment to date arrived at the port of Karachi: over 2,000 cars transported on a Ro-Ro ship, managed by the official distributor Mega Motor Company.
For investors, BYD's shares closed on Friday at €9.90, down 1.75% for the session, still far from its annual high. The company remains a long-term growth bet, backed by its global expansion and leadership in electric vehicles.
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