Byd sold more cars in May than any other month this year, accumulating 382,476 vehicle sales after reducing prices by 34% in the last days of the month, according to a statement from the company on Sunday.
Of the total, 376,930 were passenger vehicles. 204,369 were entirely electric, while 172,561 were rechargeable hybrids – only the second time since the beginning of 2024 that electricity sales have beat hybrids. The full year of the company target is 5.5 million and at the end of May, it had already reached 1.76 million units sold.
The figures did not occur in a vacuum. These massive discounts at the end of May did not only send customers rushing to dealerships, they also sent actions from Byd, as well as other EV actions, directly broken down. Motor manufacturers who did not write prices should suddenly do so.
It triggered a backlash. The Chinese Automobile Manufacturers Association abandoned a warning on Saturday, saying that “disorderly price wars intensify vicious competition, further compressing the benefits of companies”. The group did not name anyone directly, but no one needed an index. It was a clear answer to Byd.
Industry reacts to reduction chaos
Traffic in the exhibition halls byd exploded after the cuts. Citi Research analysts estimated that dealership visits have jumped from 30% to 40% weekdays over week. Customers did not wait for prices to increase. They showed up quickly and bought.
The company has not issued declarations on what price reductions would mean for long -term margins or profits, but the reaction of industry players and market analysts was immediate. Everyone in the EV space had dropped the prices or allowed themselves to be left.
While the interior of byd has attracted all the attention, the company also made movements in Europe. In April, Chinese car manufacturers, led by byd, took 8.9% of the electric vehicle market in the region – the highest share in nine months. This rebound occurred after the European Union stuck prices on Chinese electric vehicles in November 2024.
The prices have slowed things down briefly, but they did not last. In the past two months, Chinese brands have returned to roar. Dataforce researchers have confirmed the return, noting strong growth in electricity and hybrid sales of Chinese companies.
Julian Litzinger, analyst at Dataforce, said: “Chinese brands have successfully adapted to the new market environment.” He stressed that the leap into hybrid sales contributed to pushing the overall higher performance in Europe.
Chinese hybrids increase as Mg Pivots
Chinese hybrids are starting to occupy real place on the European market. Last month, these brands represented 7.6% of all sales of hybrid cars, against less than 1% a year ago. Byd is just at the center of this climb.
It's not just out of sale rivals like Tesla; It also grows stronger in hybrid models to meet a new demand. While electric vehicles always represent the heart of its growth, the company clearly sees the need to disseminate its bets. This strategy now shows results.
A competitor who had to react quickly is MG, who was the best Chinese EV brand in Europe. The brand, owned by Saic Motor Corp, has been hardly struck by EU tasks which now exceed 45% on electric vehicles. Even in Norway and the United Kingdom – where these prices do not apply – MG has seen its sales of electric vehicles drop.
The brand is now going all on hybrids, trying to meet buyers where prices cannot reach. Felipe Munoz, analyst at Jato Dynamics, said MG is now focusing on the ZS crossing and the MG3 subcompact, both non-electric models that are doing well.
Munoz added: “The accent is not only on electric cars but on other electric trains.”
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