On July 4th, as a BYD Dolphin drove off the production line at BYD’s factory in Rayong, Thailand, BYD also achieved the production of its 8th million new energy vehicles. It took BYD 13 years to reach its first million vehicles, while with the rapid growth of the automotive industry, it only took BYD 2 years and 3 months to reach its fifth million vehicles, and only 11 months to reach its fifth million vehicles.
From the first vehicle to the 8th million vehicles
For every 5 new energy vehicles sold globally, there is 1 BYD. BYD’s hot sales at home and abroad have witnessed the rapid development of China’s new energy vehicle industry. The reason for achieving such success in the production of the 8th millionth unit at the Thai factory is not achieved overnight, but rather the result of long-term practice and persistence.
In 2008, BYD’s first new energy vehicle F3DM was officially sold at a price of around 150000 yuan. Subsequently, BYD DM and pure electric vehicles advanced side by side. In addition to the continuous iteration of DM, the early e6 models in pure electric vehicles were active in the taxi market, and the Qin EV of that year also traveled to the streets and alleys of multiple cities.
In 2014, BYD’s 100000th new energy vehicle went offline, from 10000 to 100000, taking six years. In 2018, the 500000 new energy vehicles were taken offline, from 100000 to 500000, which took BYD four years. On May 19, 2021, BYD’s one millionth new energy vehicle was taken offline. This is a BYD Han EV model, owned by Mr. He Youjun. From 500000 to one million vehicles, BYD has been using it for three years.
And then BYD’s sales skyrocketed:
In May 2022, the second millionth new energy vehicle – Qin PLUS DM-i – was officially launched, taking one year.
In November 2022, the 3rd millionth new energy vehicle, the Seal EV, was taken offline, taking 6 months.
In August 2023, the 5th new energy vehicle – Denza N7- was taken offline, and the 2 million vehicles took 9 months.
In November 2023, the 6th millionth new energy vehicle, the Equation Leopard 5, was taken offline for 3 months.
In March 2024, the 7th millionth new energy vehicle was taken offline – the all-new Denza N7.
In July 2024, the 8th millionth new energy vehicle was taken offline – Dolphin was taken offline at a factory in Thailand, which took a little over 3 months.
Since the production of the first million new energy vehicles in May 2021, in just over three years, BYD has reached a new height of the eighth million vehicles, running at a new speed for Chinese brands.
At the same time as achieving 1 million vehicles domestically, three years ago in May 2021, BYD officially announced its “passenger car overseas” plan. Nowadays, BYD’s new energy vehicle footprint has spread to over 400 cities in 88 countries and regions, and has continuously won the monthly sales champion of new energy vehicles in multiple countries.
In recent years, the growth rate of new energy vehicles in the Thai market has been rapid. According to Thailand’s previous “3030 policy”, which aimed to achieve 30% of the total production of electric vehicles by 2030, the government has successively introduced support policies for electric vehicles. The vast market space and favorable policy environment have made Thailand a battleground for major global car manufacturers.
In 2023, BYD registered 30650 vehicles in Thailand throughout the year, becoming the sales champion of pure electric vehicles in Thailand, with a brand market share of over 40%. From January to May 2024, BYD registered a total of 12895 vehicles in Thailand, with a pure electric vehicle market share of 40.5%. Among the top 4 best-selling pure electric vehicle models in Thailand, BYD exclusively owns 3.
In October 2022, BYD first released the electric vehicle ATTO 3 to the Thai market and began selling it in November of the same year. By the end of February 2023, ATTO 3 had registered 3000 vehicles in Thailand, accounting for nearly 10% of the total registration of pure electric vehicles in Thailand.
BYD is also reshaping the automotive landscape of the new era, from the first to the 8th million vehicles, from China’s first to the world’s first. BYD’s history of new energy development is actually also the history of China’s new energy development. Looking back at BYD’s new cars that have been taken offline in recent years, the 1st million Han, the 2nd million Qin PLUS DM-i, the 3rd million Seal EV, the 5th million Denza N7, the 6th million Equation Leopard 5, the 7th million all-new Denza N7, and the 8th million Dolphin represent the development achievements of BYD at different stages.
Looking ahead to the future, BYD, a global company, is also bringing China’s new energy products to the world with a positive image. In 2023, BYD’s new energy vehicle exports exceeded 240000 units, a year-on-year increase of 334%. At present, BYD’s commercial and passenger vehicles have been exported to over 400 cities in over 70 countries and regions worldwide. Although passenger cars have not been out to sea for a long time, it can be seen that ATTO 3 is already the champion of a single category in Colombia, Singapore, Brazil, Thailand and other places. With the gradual laying of channels and the continuous production of overseas factories, the future market prospects are still very promising.
8 million vehicles have arrived, and at the current global speed, the milestone of 10 million vehicles is not far away. It is expected to be achieved early next year, and we look forward to the next historical moment together.