BYD sold 463,561 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in September, up 16.98% from a year earlier and its highest monthly total of 2026, extending the recovery that began after a weaker start to the year.
The Chinese automaker’s September sales, released on Thursday, marked its fifth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Sales also increased 5.28% from August, extending the month-on-month growth streak to seven months.
BYD sold 1,323,065 NEVs in the third quarter, an increase of 18.75% year-on-year and 19.41% from the second quarter. The result marked the company’s return to quarterly year-on-year growth after four consecutive quarters of declines.
For the first nine months, BYD’s NEV sales totaled 3,131,576 vehicles, down 3.94% from a year earlier. The decline narrowed from 6.84% through the first eight months.
Battery-Electric Sales Reach Monthly Record
Passenger NEV sales reached 456,713 in September, up 16.19% year-on-year and 5.38% from August. Commercial NEV sales totaled 6,848, rising 113.33% year-on-year while declining 0.88% month-on-month.
Within BYD’s passenger NEV business, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to outperform plug-in hybrids.
Passenger BEV sales reached a record 273,143 in September, up 33.21% year-on-year and 6.60% from August. Passenger plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales totaled 183,570, down 2.36% year-on-year but up 3.62% month-on-month.
The September result ended four consecutive months of year-on-year growth for BYD’s passenger PHEV sales.
BEVs accounted for 59.81% of passenger NEV sales in September, compared with 59.12% in August and 52.17% a year earlier. The figures indicate that all-electric models are taking a larger share of BYD’s passenger vehicle sales mix.
During the first nine months, cumulative passenger BEV sales reached 1,629,957, up 1.50% year-on-year. That reversed a 3.14% decline recorded through August.
Passenger PHEV sales, meanwhile, fell 10.19% year-on-year to 1,448,587 during the same period.
Overseas Sales Continue to Offset Domestic Weakness
BYD’s international business remained a major contributor to overall growth in September. Overseas sales reached 180,700 vehicles, up 153.59% year-on-year, although they declined 4.63% from August.
Overseas sales represented 38.98% of BYD’s total NEV sales in September. That was below August’s 43.03% share but significantly above the 17.98% recorded a year earlier.
Domestic NEV sales totaled 282,861 in September, down 12.97% from a year earlier but up 12.77% from August.
For the first nine months, BYD’s overseas sales increased 92.66% year-on-year to 1,342,960 vehicles. Domestic sales fell 30.22% to 1,788,616 vehicles over the same period.
BYD Raises Overseas Sales Ambitions
BYD is continuing to expand its international operations as domestic sales remain under pressure.
In a September 7 research note citing comments from BYD management, Deutsche Bank said the automaker had raised its 2026 overseas sales guidance to between 1.9 million and 2 million vehicles.
The company is also targeting overseas sales of more than 2.5 million vehicles in 2027, according to the research note.
The September sales figures suggest that international markets and growing demand for BYD’s battery-electric models are playing an increasingly important role in the company’s overall NEV recovery.