World's largest EV manufacturer by volume, founded 1995. Produces a broad range of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold globally, from the budget Seagull to the premium Yangwang brand. Also supplies EV batteries to other manufacturers.
The BYD Atto 2 is a subcompact SUV built on BYD's e-Platform 3.0 with the Blade battery, sold in China as the Yuan Up. The electric version offers 32 and 45 kWh packs for 301 to 401 km of CLTC range, from ¥69,800; the DM-i plug-in hybrid pairs a 1.5L engine with a 122 or 156 kW system for 40 or 90 km of electric-only range, from £26,995 in the UK.
BYD's compact electric SUV for Europe, reworked in 2026 around an 800-volt version of e-Platform 3.0. The 74.8 kWh Blade battery is good for up to 510 km WLTP, drive moves from the front axle to the rear or to both, and DC charging peaks at 220 kW. German prices start at €44,990.
The BYD Atto 8 is the export badge for the seven-seat Tang L, offered as a Super Hybrid plug-in with up to 359 kW combined and 892 km total range, or as a dual-motor EV with up to 1,086 hp and 670 km CLTC range. From R1,059,900 in South Africa.
BYD's new flagship sedan for China and the first D-segment car in the Dynasty line, sitting above the Han at 5,256 mm long on a 3,130 mm wheelbase. Rear-drive versions claim up to 1,008 km CLTC from a 102.3 kWh LFP Blade pack; an all-wheel-drive version makes 764 hp. A plug-in hybrid variant has also been filed. Pre-sales opened at the Chengdu Auto Show in August 2026 from 249,900 yuan ($35,000).
The BYD Datang is a full-size seven-seat electric SUV on 1,000V architecture with second-generation Blade Battery. Three variants: RWD from 408 hp / 800 km CLTC up to AWD 796 hp / 850 km. Range peaks at 950 km CLTC on the mid RWD. Prices from ¥239,900 in China.
The BYD Dolphin G is a B-segment DM-i plug-in hybrid hatchback for European and export markets. The range opens at 175 hp on a 7.4 kWh battery (40 km EV range) and tops out at 212 hp with an 18 kWh battery and up to 105 km of WLTP electric range. Total range exceeds 1,000 km. Length 4,160 mm. Prices in Italy and Spain run from 25,000 euros.
The BYD Qin Max is a B-segment sedan for the Dynasty range in China, on sale since 13 August 2026 in nine versions from ¥99,900 ($14,700). It comes as a DM-i plug-in hybrid with up to 320 km of electric range and a 2,370 km combined figure, or as a rear-drive EV with a 120 kW or 240 kW motor and up to 630 km CLTC. The EV runs BYD's second-generation Blade battery with flash charging, quoted at 10 to 97 percent in nine minutes.
BYD's first electric kei microvan for Japan. Front-wheel drive, with a 22.4 or 35.84 kWh battery for 210 or 320 km on Japan's WLTC cycle. On sale since 28 July 2026 from 2,145,000 yen.
The BYD Seagull is a subcompact electric hatchback and one of China's cheapest EVs. Two Blade LFP batteries give 305 or 405 km of CLTC range from a single 55 kW (74 hp) front motor, and the top two trims add an optional roof-mounted LiDAR driver-assistance system. Prices run from ¥69,900 to ¥97,900 (approximately $10,300 to $14,400).
BYD's Ocean-family flagship sedan for China, 5,150 mm long, offered with plug-in hybrid (DM-i) and battery-electric (EV) powertrains. Up to 694 hp on the top EV trim and 905 km of EV range. From ¥196,900 ($29,000).
The BYD Sealion 08 is the flagship of the Ocean SUV lineup, 5,115 mm long with a 3,030 mm wheelbase and a five- or six-seat cabin. It went on sale in China on 2 September 2026 in eight versions from 229,900 to 279,900 yuan, as a plug-in hybrid or a battery-electric SUV, with the second-generation Blade Battery and flash charging on every version.
BYD's plug-in hybrid SUV for China, near-identical to the updated Sealion 06 DM-i. 1.5L engine plus a 238 hp front motor, up to 310 km of electric range and 1,845 km total. From ¥129,900 ($19,200).
| Model | Price from | Market | Body | Powertrain | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atto 2 | ¥69,800(~$10,371) | ChinaSep 2026 | SUV | EV · PHEV | On Sale |
| Atto 3 Evo | €44,990 | EuropeSep 2026 | SUV | EV | On Sale |
| Atto 8 | R1,059,900(~$66,244) | South AfricaJul 2026 | SUV | PHEV · EV | On Sale |
| Da Han | ¥249,900(~$37,132) | ChinaAug 2026 | Sedan | EV · PHEV | Coming Soon |
| Datang | ¥239,900(~$35,646) | ChinaJun 2026 | SUV | EV | On Sale |
| Dolphin G | €25,000 | EuropeMay 2026 | Hatchback | PHEV | Coming Soon |
| Qin Max | ¥99,900(~$14,844) | ChinaAug 2026 | Sedan | PHEV · EV | On Sale |
| Racco | ¥2,145,000(~$14,592) | JapanJun 2026 | Kei | EV | On Sale |
| Seagull | ¥69,900(~$10,386) | ChinaJul 2026 | Hatchback | EV | On Sale |
| Seal 08 | ¥196,900(~$29,257) | ChinaJul 2026 | Sedan | PHEV · EV | On Sale |
| Sealion 08 | ¥229,900(~$34,160) | ChinaAug 2026 | SUV | PHEV · EV | On Sale |
| Song Ultra | ¥129,900(~$19,302) | ChinaJun 2026 | SUV | PHEV | On Sale |
Starting prices in the market each car is sold in, on the date shown. USD figures are approximate conversions.
BYD has put the Sealion 08 on sale in China in eight versions between 229,900 and 279,900 yuan ($33,900 and $41,300). Every version uses the second-generation Blade Battery, which brings flash charging to the Ocean flagship: 10 to 70 percent in five minutes on the electric cars, which carry a 115.072 kWh pack and up to 900 km CLTC.
Battery-electric cars took 98.7% of Norway's new passenger car registrations in August 2026, a monthly record. The total market shrank 3.4% at the same time, which is why OFV now frames further emissions cuts as a question about the old fleet rather than about new-car sales.
Carwow's latest tracker puts UK consideration of Chinese brands at 49%, twice the 24% it recorded in the first half of 2023. Awareness of the individual badges has climbed faster still, though the survey is of the site's own audience rather than a national panel.
China's car market runs on a handful of giant groups, each fielding a stack of brands. Here is who owns what - the parent companies, the sub-brands, the Huawei alliance, and why the chart keeps changing.
Six powertrains are on sale and three of them are called hybrids. What MHEV, HEV, PHEV, EREV and EV mean, how far each goes on its battery, and how to tell them apart.
Norway sells almost nothing but electric cars, and never paid a purchase subsidy to get there. The tax structure that did it, year by year, and how it ends in 2028.
The Volkswagens sold in China are built by two companies, and one of them is Chinese. That arrangement started in 1983 as a condition of entry, and it has since produced badges that exist nowhere else: Jetta, Wuling, and AUDI in block capitals with no rings. Who holds which half, which brands the ventures invented for themselves, and which of the old partnerships have quietly ended.
New-energy vehicles took a record 64.4% of China's retail car sales in July 2026, even as NEV retail itself fell 2% year on year - the seventh straight monthly decline. The record came from combustion collapsing faster than EVs are growing.
Spain's new-car market grew 7.8% in June, and the Dacia Sandero kept its lead among models - but the bigger story was the BYD Atto 2, which reached Spain's top 10 for the first time as the brand's overall sales more than doubled.
Italy's new-car market grew 10.6% in June, but the real mover was the BYD Atto 2 - the first BYD model to reach third place among every car sold in the country, driven almost entirely by its plug-in hybrid version.
In May 2026 not a single petrol or diesel model made China's top 10 - the first time combustion cars have vanished from the list. It says less about an EV boom than a fuel-car collapse.
BYD (Build Your Dreams) was founded in Shenzhen in 1995 as a battery manufacturer before entering the automotive market in 2003. It became the world’s top-selling electric vehicle brand in 2023, overtaking Tesla in annual EV deliveries.
The brand’s lineup spans a wide price range: entry-level EVs like the Seagull, mid-range crossovers including the Atto 2, Dolphin, and Sealion 7, and performance models under the Yangwang sub-brand. BYD’s proprietary Blade battery technology, introduced in 2020, uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells in a blade-shaped configuration that improves both safety and energy density.
To circumvent European Union import tariffs introduced in October 2024, BYD is establishing local manufacturing in Hungary (Szeged plant, trial production from early 2026) and Turkey, while pursuing additional factory acquisitions across Europe. The company has set a target of delivering 1.5 million vehicles outside China in 2026.
