BYD celebrates 9 millionth new energy vehicle milestone

BYD marked a significant milestone on September 25th, as the Chinese automaker celebrated the production of its nine millionth new energy vehicle (NEV). The landmark car, a Yangwang U9 electric supercar, crowned the event.

The achievement symbolizes BYD’s rapid growth and expansion in the electric vehicle market. Two months ago, BYD reached its eighth millionth NEV, and a BYD Dolphin rolled off the line at the company’s new Thailand facility.

BYD’s journey to this milestone has been remarkable. It took the company thirteen years, from 2008, when it launched its first NEV, until 2021, to produce its one-millionth NEV. BYD has manufactured an additional eight million units in just over three years, reflecting the brand’s explosive growth.

Another milestone was reached in March 2022, when the company’s focus on electrification halted the production of traditional combustion engine vehicles and entirely switched to plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.

And this August, the pint-sized BYD Seagull EV sold 46,830 times in China, making it the country’s best-selling vehicle regardless of power source. But the Seagull’s sales performance is only part of the story.

BYD made seven of the first ten best-selling cars in China last month. The BYD Qin Plus was in second place with 42,765 sales, followed by the Song Plus in third spot with 39,799 sales. All seven top-selling BYDs were either plug-in hybrids or full EVs.

Continuous winning streak

In August alone, the company sold a record 373,083 NEVs, a 35.97% increase year over year. For January through August, sales reached 2.3 million units, up nearly 30% from the previous year.

The company’s most coveted victory happened at the beginning of this year when it threw Volkswagen from its ten-year-long residence on the domestic sales throne. The electrification strategy has solidified BYD’s position as a leader in China’s rapidly evolving car market.

The company boasts the most significant workforce among locally listed companies, with over 900,000 employees. This includes nearly 110,000 research and development staff, making BYD the carmaker with the largest R&D team globally.

BYD is approaching the production of its ten millionth NEV and will likely reach this milestone by the end of this year. In Europe, the success is gaining momentum as well. In a declining August market (-17%), BYD sales grew by 12%, entering the top 30 for the first time.

Carbon fiber in mass production

The Yangwang U9 is the epitome of BYD’s fortune and technological innovation. This luxurious electric supercar boasts four motors, each generating 240 kW, delivering 960 kW (1,306 horsepower) and a peak torque of 1,680 Nm. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hour in just 2.36 seconds and has a top speed of 309 km/hour.

The U9’s performance capabilities place it among the most potent vehicles a Chinese automaker produces, while it supports fast charging at 500 kW. Its price starts at 1.68 million yuan (€210,000).

The U9 is manufactured at BYD’s new Shenshan facility, touted as China’s first exclusive factory for new energy supercars. The plant features a 2,000-square-meter clean workshop with tightly controlled temperature and humidity conditions for producing the vehicle’s carbon fiber cabin. The U9 is also the first mass-produced model in China to incorporate carbon fiber body structural parts.