- Chinese carmaker’s output for October was 534,003 vehicles
- Strong hybrids line up is good for consumers still wary of EVs
The extraordinary sales volumes being pumped out by China’s best-selling car brand means BYD has a shot at beating Ford Motor Co. in annual shipments this year, a milestone that would cement its position as a top 10 automaker globally.
BYD kicked off the December quarter by selling a record half a million vehicles in October. That impressive number put it nearly on par with Ford year-to-date, and almost all analysts covering BYD expect the momentum to continue. The US automaker, which only reports global sales on a quarterly basis, has been averaging around 1.1 million vehicles a quarter.
“Getting to 4 million is a stunning milestone,” auto industry consultant Michael Dunne said, referring to BYD’s reported annual target. “BYD will soon be seeing Ford in the rear-view mirror.”
Surpassing one of Detroit’s big three carmakers will be possible if BYD keeps up its strong run. Demand in China is in part being stoked by government subsidies encouraging people to trade in their older EVs or combustion engine cars. Plus, BYD’s lineup of hybrids is resonating with consumers who aren’t quite ready to make the switch to a fully electric vehicle.
Dunne, a former General Motors Co. executive, described BYD’s sales ramp up as “velocity without precedent.”
BYD’s third quarter set the tone for what’s possible. The Shenzhen-based auto giant managed to outsell Ford by 40,000 units, delivering some 1.13 million mostly passenger cars, as well as a few thousand trucks and buses.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ord-deliveries-after-besting-tesla-on-revenue
