BYD‘s January sales came in weaker than expected, with the two most important Scandinavian markets mirroring the decline.
Despite Norway, Denmark, and Sweden having among the highest EV adoption rates globally, the Chinese automaker has struggled to gain a foothold in the region.
By contrast, the company has been more successful in Central and Southern Europe, where sales grew significantly in 2025.
BYD‘s best-selling models in Europe — the entry-level Dolphin and Dolphin Surf urban-focused vehicles, and the more affordable Atto 2 and Atto 3 SUVs — are only available in front-wheel drive, lacking RWD or AWD options.
In contrast, these drivetrain options are typically offered on more premium models such as the Seal and Han sedans, and the Sealion 7 and Tang SUVs.
Norway
BYD registered 50 vehicles in the Norwegian market last month, a 72% decline from the same period a year ago — when 178 units were sold.
The figures tumbled sharply from the record 1,731 vehicles registered in December, as the auto industry typically slows down in the beginning of each year.
Sales doubled in 2025. However, the brand registered an average of 400-500 units per month during the rest of the year.
Unlike in other markets, where it offers a mix of BEVs and PHEVs, BYD sells exclusively fully electric vehicles in Norway — where EVs represented 95% of all new vehicle sales last year.
These include the Sealion 7 and Tang SUV, in 4×4 or all-wheel drive, which are priced from NOK 469,900 ($48,400) and NOK 699,900 ($72,100) respectively, and the more affordable Seal U and Atto 3 SUVs, both starting at NOK 399,900 ($41,200).
The Seal 4×4 is priced from NOK 469,900 ($48,400) and the Dolphin compact begins at NOK 299,900 — equivalent to $31,000.
The BYD Dolphin was the company’s best-selling model last month, accounting for 28 units — a 49.1% decline from a year ago.
In Norway, electric vehicle sales were expected to decline in January as the country removed incentives on the segment, leading consumers to rush to purchase EVs before the end of the year.
This led to an overall drop in the auto market, which plunged 76.3% to 2,218 units in January, with fully electric sales representing 2,084 of them — a 94% share.
The best-selling models were the Volkswagen ID.3, Toyota‘s bZ4X and Urban Cruiser models, the Skoda Elroq, and Changan‘s Deepal S05 — with the latter rising to the top due to its recent launch in late 2025.
Tesla, which topped the country’s vehicle sales last year, posted its worst result in three years, with the best-selling Model Y ranking seventh among its competitors.
Denmark
The Toyota bZ4X and the Skoda Elroq have also topped the auto sales chart in Denmark last month, followed by the Tesla Model Y.
Danish electric vehicle sales reached 10,618 units out of the total 12,803 cars sold last month, representing a 82% share in the market.
Of these, according to data tracking platform EU-EVs, BYD represented 89 units — a 71% increase from a year ago. Sequentially, registrations declined by 67.6%.
Official data from Mobility Denmark has not yet been disclosed.
Unlike its growth across the rest of Europe, BYD‘s sales in Denmark fell year-over-year in 2025, dropping from 2,766 units in 2024 to 2,429 in 2025.
Monthly registrations averaged 200–300 vehicles, except in March, when they peaked at 380 units.
BYD‘s lineup in the country includes the Dolphin and Dolphin Surf compact cars, with the latter being the cheapest in the lineup — starting from DKK 149,995 — and the entry-level SUV Atto 2, priced at DKK 224,995.
The Seal U SUV follows at DKK 279,995, and the Sealion 7 begins at DKK 329,995. The premium Seal sedan and Tang SUV are also available in the market.
Sweden
BYD registrations in Sweden remained low, with 35 vehicles sold last month, just two units above December.
Sales fell to nearly a third of the 94 units registered a year ago, according to data published by Mobility Sweden.
In 2025, a total of 1,019 BYDs were sold in the Scandinavian market, nearly 300 units below the prior year.
According to the Swedish website, BYD currently offers the Seal 6 and Seal U SUVs as plug-in hybrids, while the Sealion 7 is available as a fully electric model.
Volvo’s EX/XC40 (which includes both the fully electric and hybrid versions) was the best-selling model in Sweden last month, with the XC60, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.7 following.
Volkswagen and Volvo led sales in the country, each with over 2,400 vehicles registered.
Vehicle sales in Sweden fell 18.3% in the first month of the year. Of the total 16,041 cars registered last month, 6,710 were fully electric — representing 41% of the market.
