BYD sold more than 440,000 new-energy vehicles in August, extending its run as China's best-selling carmaker to 63 consecutive months, according to figures released on September 1 and reported by the Chinese outlet Dandongbang.
The monthly total dwarfed rivals: second-placed SAIC sold about 190,800 units and third-placed Geely about 175,900, meaning BYD's single-month volume was roughly 70,000 units more than the two runners-up combined. The top ten manufacturers together sold about 1.29 million vehicles, with BYD accounting for more than 30%. Five other brands — SAIC, Geely, Chery, Changan and Leapmotor — each cleared 100,000 units.
Overseas growth accelerates
The headline number is size, but the structure behind it is shifting. BYD sold 189,000 passenger cars and pickups overseas in August, up 134.6% year on year and a record for the fifth straight month. That means overseas sales made up more than 40% of the monthly total. Cumulative overseas sales from January to August reached 1.158 million units, already exceeding the 1.0496 million sold in all of 2025.
The main export models — the Yuan UP, the Dolphin family and the Song Plus — are also volume sellers at home, and Dandongbang notes their competitiveness has carried over into foreign markets. With domestic demand stable and overseas channels widening, BYD's growth is no longer tied to a single market.
Premium push pays off
Fangchengbao and Denza together sold 58,000 units in August, double the year-earlier figure. Fangchengbao contributed 42,000 units, up 155.6%, while Denza added 16,000, up 33.4%. The two brands now account for about 13% of BYD's total sales, and Fangchengbao's monthly volume topped premium rivals including Zeekr, Li Auto, Aito and Xiaomi, ranking first among new-energy brands with an average price above 200,000 yuan (about $28,200).
BYD has long been seen as a low-price, high-volume player, and the premium brands are starting to change that perception. Structural upgrades are harder than scale expansion, Dandongbang argues, and a rising average price gives the company more room on margins and brand perception.
On the technology side, the second-generation Blade Battery and flash-charging system unveiled in March are moving from launch to deployment. The system can charge from 5% to full in about 9 minutes at normal temperatures, with only 3 extra minutes needed at minus 30 degrees Celsius. As of August 28, BYD had built 10,000 flash-charging stations covering 332 cities.
New models are also stacking up. The Denza Z9S and the larger Han have opened pre-sales; the Sealion 08, Denza N8L BEV (battery-electric) and Fangchengbao S-series arrive in September; and the third-generation Tang and the Titan 9 are due to follow. The lineup spans mainstream to premium segments, giving BYD a full product pipeline for the second half.
Dandongbang notes that while scale remains the most visible metric, the more telling shift is structural: overseas sales above 40% of the mix, premium brands growing at double-digit rates, a fast-expanding flash-charging network and a dense new-model calendar. The challenges are real too — domestic competition is intensifying, with the second- to sixth-ranked brands all above 100,000 monthly sales, and overseas localisation plus premium-brand credibility require long-term investment. But on August's numbers, BYD is moving up on scale, structure, technology and exports at the same time.
