BYD sales in the UK surged 654% year over year to 2,511 vehicles, according to data shared by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With April figures, the brand reached 10,000 sales year to date.
Compared to March, when the Chinese giant set a new sales record with 6,480 units, sales were down 61.3%. BYD expanded to the UK in 2023.
So far, the brand’s sales are 631.4% higher (at 11,872 units) when compared to the first four months of 2024. By the end of March, BYD had already surpassed its sales for the entire year of 2024, when it registered “over 8,700” units.
Two weeks ago, the company announced on Weibo that it reached 20,000 cumulative sales in the country, just five months after reaching 10,000 units.
BYD UK announced new positions in its leadership team at the end of April. Simon Bisp, a Peugeot veteran who joined the brand in May 2023, was promoted to Head of Customer Experience.
Two former Volvo executives also joined the company: Andy Dolan, now the Head of Retail Sales (which accounts for 40% of the group’s sales) and Matt Collins as Head of Sales Operations and Logistics.
Lineup
BYD launched its first passenger vehicle in the country in March 2023, the fully electric Atto 3 SUV, which is currently sold from £37,705 ($50,100).
The brand’s lineup includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and one plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model — the Seal U DM-i SUV, priced at £33,315 ($44,300).
The company launched the Sealion 7 SUV in late 2024, which is available in the UK from £47,000 ($62,500). The only sedan offered in the lineup is the Seal, starting at £45,705 ($60,800).
The city compact Dolphin is BYD‘s cheapest model to date in the country, with prices beginning at £26,205 ($34,800). The brand is offering a 0% interest rate on purchases of the Dolphin compact, the Seal SUV and the debut Atto 3.
The recently launched Atto 2 SUV, specifically designed for European markets and which the brand is calling its “most accessible SUV”, is set to arrive in the UK in the summer.
Competitors
The island’s best-selling model in April was the Kia Sportage, available both as an hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), with over 3,500 vehicles registered. Volkswagen led the UK market, with nearly 10,500 vehicles, a 8.7% market share.
If considering only new energy vehicle (NEV) brands, Tesla saw a 62% plunge year over year, with 512 EVs registered in April, following the decline tendency seen all over Europe.
XPeng, which expanded to the UK earlier this year, sold 9 units last month. Polestar, backed by China’s Geely Holding Group but headquartered in Sweden, registered 859 vehicles last month, a 82% surge from a year earlier.
EV Adoption
Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles still lead in the UK, with over 50% market share. However, as their market share saw a 20% year over year decline, new energy vehicle sales increased.
In the UK, 120,331 vehicles were sold last month, from which over 55,000 were NEVs. One out of five cars sold last month in the UK were fully electric — a 20.4% market share. Hybrid models, including PHEVs, represented 25.5% of the market.
April Results
The BYD Group delivered 380,089 vehicles in April and, for the first time, sales of battery electric vehicles were higher than those of hybrid models. Over 50% of the group’s sales were fully electric models.
