According to data released on Tuesday by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), BYD registered 1,566 vehicle sales in Germany last month. The figures represent a new sales record for the Chinese giant in Europe’s largest car market.
With a 384.5% surge year over year and a 95% jump from March, the company almost doubled its figures from the 805 units delivered in the previous month. In April alone, the brand surpassed its first quarter sales of 1,225 vehicles.
In the first four months of the year, the company sold 2,791 vehicles.
The world’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) brand entered Sweden and Germany in late 2022, in a partnership with the one of Europe’s largest dealers ‘Hedin Mobility Group’.
Both parts decided to adjust its partnership in the German market last Summer, although Hedin’s position as retailer in the Scandinavian market remained.
BYD expanded to Germany with its Atto 3 and Tang SUVs, currently selling from €37,990 and €75,000 respectively.
The Shenzhen-based brand offers mostly battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the country, with just one hybrid model — the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Seal U DM-i, which starts at €39,990, a cheaper version of the fully electric Seal U, with prices beginning at €42,990. In the same series, the Seal sedan’s prices start at €46,990.
Late last year, BYD launched its Sealion 7 SUV, priced at €49,990 in Germany. Earlier this year, the compact sport-utility Atto 2, specifically tailored for the European market, was unveiled.
The Atto 2 is the carmaker’s cheapest model in the German market, with prices originally started at €31,990, and the website is currently offering a discount of €2,000 to €29,990. The city compact Dolphin is also available in the country from €32,990.
According to Maria Grazia Davino, BYD Germany’s head, the brand will launch two more PHEV models in Europe this year. The executive told Reuters that the brand is “adapting to European demand,” noting that “not everyone is ready for electric.”
Germany’s Volkswagen was the best-selling brand in April, with nearly 49,400 deliveries, representing a market share of 20.3% — one in each five cars sold in the country. BMW followed with 22,540 vehicles while Mercedes sold 22,196 units.
In the NEV sector, Tesla listed 885 vehicles, a 60.4% plunge from a year earlier, as the U.S. brand’s European sales have been declining for the past months. Chinese brands Leapmotor, Polestar and XPeng sold 314, 303 and 207 units respectively.
EV Adoption
Last month, 242,728 vehicles were sold in Germany, from which 45,535 were fully electric. BEV sales increased 53.5% year over year, and the segment now represents a 18.8% market share.
Hybrid models amounted to 91,696 of the units registered, which included 24,317 PHEVs — a total market share of 37.8%. Nearly 57% of new car sales in the German market were new energy vehicles.
The leading car class registered in April were sport-utility vehicles, with a 31.7% market share.
BYD Group delivered 380,089 vehicles in April, reaching a new record of over 78,000 units sold overseas. The brand’s fully electric vehicles outsold the hybrid models for the first time ever — representing more than 50% of the market.
