BYD saw sales surge in two of Europe’s most important automotive markets in February, with registrations rising 1,550% in Germany and 83% in the United Kingdom.
The Shenzhen-based automaker continues to increase its focus on overseas sales as domestic demand shows signs of concern.
Germany
BYD registered 3,053 vehicles in Germany in February, official data published Thursday by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) showed — marking the company’s fifth-strongest month ever in Europe’s largest automotive market.
The result represents a more than fifteenfold increase from the 185 vehicles registered in February 2025, when BYD was still in the early stages of its German expansion. Month over month, sales rose 16% from January’s 2,629 units.
The company’s year-to-date total reached 5,682 vehicles through February, up 1,252.9% from the same period a year ago.
BYD‘s growth came as Germany’s overall electric vehicle market expanded 28.7% year over year, with 46,275 battery electric vehicles registered in February and a 21.9% market share.
Hybrid vehicles accounted for 40.2% of registrations, including 24,328 plug-in hybrids, up 24.5%. Petrol registrations fell 14.9%, while diesel declined 2.4%.
German Rivals
Tesla registered 2,276 vehicles in Germany in February, a 59% year-over-year increase and a 75% jump from January’s 1,301 units.
The American EV maker’s year-to-date total of 3,577 units places it behind BYD in the market.
The Chinese brand sells significantly cheaper models while also offering hybrid vehicles.
Leapmotor, which sells through its partnership with Stellantis, registered 1,091 vehicles in February — a 486.6% year-over-year surge and a 58% increase from January. Its year-to-date total of 1,780 represents growth of 422.0%.
XPeng registered 331 vehicles, up 104% from a year ago and roughly flat from January’s 327 units. Polestar recorded 296 registrations, a 44% month-over-month decline from 532 in January but still 12% above the prior year’s level.
At the other end of the scale, Nio registered five vehicles in February and six year to date, while Lucid recorded seven in February and 18 for the first two months — underscoring the widening gap between Chinese brands gaining traction and premium EV makers struggling to find volume.
United Kingdom
In the UK, BYD registered 2,154 vehicles in February, an 83% increase from 1,177 units a year ago, according to data released on Thursday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The result marked a 46% month-over-month decline from January’s 4,021 units, which had set a high bar with a 149% year-over-year surge.
BYD‘s year-to-date total stood at 6,175 vehicles as of February 28.
The broader UK new car market rose 7.2% in February to 90,100 registrations — the highest February volume in 22 years, according to the SMMT.
Plug-in hybrids attracted the largest growth in demand, rising 43.5% to claim an 11.6% market share, while hybrid electric registrations grew 3.3% to a 13.1% share.
Petrol demand rose 5.2% but its share slipped to 46.5%. Diesel volumes continued to decline, falling 3.8% to just 4.5% of the market.
UK Rivals
Tesla registered 2,422 vehicles in the UK in February, a 37% year-over-year decline but a 237% surge from January’s 718 units.
Polestar registered 675 vehicles, down 40% from January’s 1,070 but up 31% from a year ago.
XPeng made its first appearance of the year in UK registration data, recording 22 units in February after zero registrations in January.
The company updated the G6 SUV, its sole model available in the UK, to the 2026 model year.
Spain
BYD‘s momentum extends beyond Germany and the UK.
In Spain, the company was the best-selling new energy vehicle brand in February, registering 3,003 vehicles with a 15.4% market share — a threefold increase from a year ago and a more than 50% jump from January’s 1,962 units.
Tesla overtook BYD in the fully electric segment in February, with its Model 3 becoming the best-selling BEV in Spain.
Overall, Spanish fully electric vehicle sales rose 48% year over year to 10,181 units, representing 8.8% of the market.
Plug-in hybrid registrations grew 11%, accounting for 11% of total sales.
European Manufacturing
BYD began trial production earlier this year at its first European plant in Hungary, following construction delays.
Manufacturing vehicles locally will allow the automaker to avoid the European Commission tariffs imposed in October 2024 on imported Chinese EVs.
In October, Reuters reported that BYD was considering Spain for its third European factory, after Turkey and Hungary.
A BYD Portugal executive subsequently revealed that Portugal was also under consideration.
No further updates on the location have been provided.
