2025 was the year BYD surpassed its export records.
BYD has wrapped up 2025 with a bittersweet performance report. While the Chinese EV giant successfully crossed the historic threshold of 1 million overseas sales, its momentum in the domestic market showed signs of significant cooling in December.
According to the latest data released by the company, BYD sold a total of 4,550,036 passenger vehicles in 2025, a modest 7.1% increase over 2024. While still a record year, the single-digit growth marks a stark departure from the double-and-triple-digit explosions seen in previous years, signalling a maturing market.
The year ended on a challenging note. In December, BYD sold 414,784 passenger vehicles globally, representing an 18.6% decline compared to the same month last year and a 12.7% drop from November.
This marks the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year (YoY) decline for the automaker.
- BEV Dip: Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fell by 8.2% to 190,712 units—the first YoY decline for the segment in 2025.
- PHEV Slide: Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) took a harder hit, dropping 25.7% YoY to 224,072 units. This is the ninth consecutive month of declining PHEV sales, a trend that began back in April.
While domestic demand softened, BYD’s international strategy paid massive dividends.
- December Record: Overseas sales reached a record-breaking 133,172 vehicles in December alone, skyrocketing 133% year-on-year.
- 1 Million Club: For the full year, BYD’s overseas sales surpassed 1 million units (1,046,083) for the first time, an impressive 150.7% jump from 2024.
This surge suggests that BYD’s aggressive entry into markets like Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America is successfully offsetting slower growth at home.
The 2025 data also reveals a significant internal shift in BYD’s sales mix. The gap between its pure electric and hybrid offerings has all but vanished.
- BEV Sales (2025): 2,254,714 units (up 27.9%)
- PHEV Sales (2025): 2,288,709 units (down 7.9%)
BEVs now account for 49.6% of BYD’s total sales, a substantial jump from 41.5% in 2024. Conversely, PHEVs, once the undisputed volume driver, have seen their share shrink to 50.4%.
2025 appears to be a transition year for BYD. The era of exponential domestic growth has stabilised, replaced by a new phase focused on global export dominance and a pivot toward pure electric mobility.
