China’s BYD is targeting overseas vehicle sales of about 1.3 million units in 2026, its branding and public relations chief said, underscoring the automaker’s push to expand its global footprint after a sharp rise in exports last year.
Li Yunfei, general manager of branding and public relations at BYD, disclosed the target during a media briefing in Shanghai on Saturday, describing it as representing roughly 24% growth from 2025 levels.
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BYD exported 1,046,083 new energy vehicles in 2025, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles, up 150.74% from a year earlier, according to calculations by CnEVPost based on the company’s monthly disclosures. Overseas passenger vehicle and pickup sales totaled 1,049,601 units, a 145% year-on-year increase, BYD said earlier this month on Weibo.
Li said overseas markets remain a key growth engine for the company, which has been accelerating shipments to Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. BYD’s export mix in 2025 was evenly distributed across those three regions, each accounting for about one-third of total overseas sales, according to a November report from Citigroup that cited company management.
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Some analysts expect even stronger growth. Citigroup said BYD management has guided for overseas sales of between 1.5 million and 1.6 million units in 2026, above the target outlined by Li at the Shanghai event.
Overall, BYD sold 4,602,436 new energy vehicles globally in 2025, up 7.73% year on year. Passenger vehicle sales reached 4,545,423 units, rising 6.94%. Battery electric vehicle passenger sales climbed to 2,256,714 units, surpassing Tesla for the first time, while plug-in hybrid passenger sales fell 7.91% to 2,288,709 units.
Source: CnEVPost