by BYD reaches 100,000 cars milestone in the UK
Chinese automaker BYD, which only three years ago began sales of its first electric and hybrid vehicles in the UK, has already delivered its 100,000th car in the local market. This allowed the company to capture a 5% share of the entire new car market. Such rapid growth largely explains why the US is so actively trying to keep Chinese brands out of its market.
BYD model lineup in the UK
The first BYD model to appear in the UK in March 2023 was the Atto 3. Since then, the lineup has expanded significantly and now includes six fully electric models and six plug-in hybrids. The electric segment includes the compact Dolphin Surf, the larger Dolphin, as well as the Atto 2, Atto 3 Evo, Seal, and the very successful Sealion 7.
For those not yet ready to fully switch to an electric vehicle, plug-in hybrids are available: the new Dolphin G DM-i, Atto 2 DM-i, Seal 6 DM-i, and soon the BYD Ti7 DM-p. This latest model, introduced last month, will be BYD’s first seven-seat SUV in the UK. In China, it is sold under the Fangchengbao brand. The car is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo engine, two electric motors, a 35.6 kWh LFP battery, and has over 600 hp. This allows it to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, with a pure electric range of 127 km.
Rapid sales growth
Demand for BYD models in the UK remains consistently high and continues to grow. In the first four months of this year, the company sold 26,396 cars, a 124% increase compared to the same period last year. From January to April, BYD captured a 7% share of the electric vehicle market and 9.5% of the segment that includes both EVs and plug-in hybrids.
For comparison: in the first 19 months, BYD sold only 10,000 cars in the UK, and the 20,000-unit mark was only surpassed at the end of April 2025.
Undoubtedly, the increase in interest in BYD models is facilitated by the deployment of Flash Charging technology in the country. The first of 300 planned stations across the country has already been built, providing charging speeds of up to 1500 kW.
Such rapid success of BYD in the British market demonstrates not only the high quality and competitiveness of Chinese electric vehicles, but also the effectiveness of the company’s strategy, which includes a rapid expansion of the model lineup and investments in charging infrastructure. Achieving a 5% market share in just three years is unprecedented for a new automaker in such a mature and competitive market as the British one. It also highlights how quickly consumer preferences are changing, with more and more people choosing more affordable and technologically advanced electric vehicles, despite geopolitical barriers and protectionist measures from other countries.
