BYD‘s Dutch registrations rose 27.1% year over year to 319 vehicles in February, according to data published Sunday by industry association BOVAG.
In February 2025, the Chinese giant sold 251 units in the Netherlands.
Sequentially, registrations fell 13.1% from January’s 367 deliveries, bringing the year-to-date total to 686 vehicles.
Model Breakdown
The Seal U SUV — marketed as the Song Plus in China — dominated the brand’s Dutch sales in February with 198 registrations, accounting for 62.1% of BYD‘s total volume.
The model has registered 465 units year-to-date, nearly as many as all other BYD models combined.
The Dolphin Surf followed with 26 units, ahead of the Sealion 7 crossover with 25, the Atto 3 with 22, the Seal sedan and Atto 2 with 18 each, and the Seal 6 with 9.
The Dolphin hatchback registered 2 units, while the Tang SUV recorded 1. The Han sedan went unsold.
Last year, BYD registered a total of 4,370 units in the country, representing a 36.2% increase from 2024’s total of 3,208.
December was the Shenzhen-based company’s best-selling month in 2025, with 597 deliveries.
EV Adoption
The Netherlands registered 22,380 new passenger cars in February, a 19.6% decline from a year earlier, according to BOVAG.
Of those, 6,805 were fully electric, down 33.1% year over year. Battery electric market share fell to 30.4% from 36.6% in February 2025.
Hybrid vehicles accounted for 13,059 registrations, or 58.4% of the market, up from 44.9% a year ago.
The divergence follows a series of policy changes that have eroded the Netherlands’ EV incentives. The full tax exemption on zero-emission passenger cars ended at the start of 2025, replaced by a 75% discount that was further reduced to 30% this year. The discount drops to 25% in 2029 and expires in 2030.
The government also raised the bijtelling — a benefit-in-kind tax on leased vehicles — for electric cars from 17% to 22% in 2025, with gradual increases planned to bring the rate in line with petrol vehicles.
Company leases have historically driven the majority of Dutch EV registrations.
Debut and Network
BYD Europe B.V., the first overseas subsidiary of the automaker, was established in Rotterdam in December 1998. Initially, the firm led by Wang Chuanfu focused solely on buses and energy products.
In July 2022, BYD announced that it would introduce its passenger vehicles in the Netherlands via a strategic partnership with Louwman Group. The first showroom opened in Amsterdam in September 2022.
As of November 2025, the Chinese giant operated a total of six stores in major cities: Amsterdam, Arnhem, Breda, Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and The Hague.
Last August, BYD Europe announced that, from September onwards, it would control wholesale distribution in the country, with Louwman Group remaining as a key retail partner.
Dutch Lineup
In late 2022, BYD began selling its first three passenger car models in the Netherlands: the Atto 3 crossover SUV, the Han luxury sedan, and the Tang SUV.
In April 2023, the automaker announced that the BYD Dolphin would be launched in Europe in the Summer.
Two months later, the model became available in the Netherlands and other European markets, with customer deliveries beginning in the fourth quarter.
The BYD Seal sedan arrived in European stores, including Dutch showrooms, in September 2023.
The SUV version of the model, Seal U — marketed as BYD Song Plus in China —, was launched in February 2024 across the Old Continent.
Following its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show in October 2024, the BYD Sealion 7 was introduced to the European market in October 2024.
The crossover SUV became available to order in the Netherlands two months later.
Nearly a year ago, the BYD Atto 2 compact SUV debuted in the Dutch market.
The hatchback — named Seagull in BYD‘s home country — was launched last May in the Netherlands and other European nations.
Currently, the cheapest BYD model in the country is the latest hatchback, which starts at €22,990 — equivalent to €27,200.
While the Tang continues to be available in the Netherlands with a starting price of €67,400 ($79,700) — the most expensive of all models —, the Han is no longer listed on the firm’s local website.
European Sales
In January, BYD sold 18,242 vehicles in Europe, more than doubling (165.0%) year over year, when the company achieved 6,884 deliveries.
The brand achieved a 1.9% market share, up from 0.7% a year earlier.
This year, the Chinese carmaker aims to sell 1.3 million outside its domestic market – 24.3% more than the 1,049,601 exports recorded in 2025.
