BYD Closer to Becoming #1 Automaker in World Than I Thought

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Final week, I wrote typically about the concept BYD’s sturdy upward development, Toyota’s seeming lack of a serious EV plan (together with continued daydreams about hydrogen), and Volkswagen’s struggles in China may result in BYD becoming the #1 top selling automaker in the world. I didn’t dive deeply into latest gross sales numbers as a result of I figured we’re nonetheless a reasonably lengthy methods off from this occurring even when it does occur in time. Nonetheless, some reader feedback pulled in gross sales numbers that made me notice we’re a bit nearer than I believed and it’s price beginning an everyday comparability of the numbers right this moment. I’ll break up this piece into two components — prime promoting auto manufacturers (with one particularly notable level in daring) and prime promoting auto teams.

High Promoting Auto Manufacturers within the World

To start with, these were the 20 prime promoting auto manufacturers globally in 2023:

1. Toyota — 9,483,137
2. Volkswagen — 5,276,200
3. Ford — 4,246,000
4. Hyundai — 3,993,179
5. Honda — 3,854,000
6. Nissan — 3,290,271
7. Kia — 3,087,384
8. Suzuki — 3,072,824
9. BYD — 2,885,066
10. Chevrolet — 2,790,000
11. Mercedes-Benz — 2,491,600
12. BMW — 2,252,793
13. Changan — 1,899,382
14. Audi — 1,895,240
15. Tesla — 1,808,581
16. Renault — 1,570,728
17. Wuling — 1,351,425
18. Fiat — 1,350,000
19. Geely — 1,341,065
20. Chery — 1,311,361

You may see there that BYD is in ninth, and at nearly 30% of Toyota’s complete. However let’s remember that the 2 manufacturers shall be shifting towards one another — BYD most likely gained’t must climb as much as Toyota’s 2023 stage to take #1.

Additionally clear is that if BYD continues to develop so strongly, it’s obtained just a few automakers inside its sights that it ought to be capable of shortly go — Suzuki for positive, Kia (although, Kia has been doing alright itself), and Nissan (which has been struggling massively since Carlos Ghosn was jailed in Japan). Past that, Honda and Hyundai are nearly one million models forward, after which BYD can be in 4th.

Naturally, Toyota actually is much, far forward of BYD. There’s a giant mountain to climb, and Toyota would additionally must roll down that mountain a superb methods to ensure that BYD to get to the highest of the rostrum anytime quickly. Additionally, Volkswagen in second place there’s nonetheless at twice the gross sales of BYD, so it’s an identical story. The distinction, arguably, is that Volkswagen is dealing with the EV transition higher, but it surely’s not precisely excelling there both, and it’s additionally quickly dropping the large Chinese language auto market to Chinese language automakers. (Maybe its partnership with Xpeng will assist the corporate cease the bleeding.)

Right here’s the actually inspiring level for BYD followers, although: BYD bought 342,383 autos in July 2024. Toyota bought 857,982. that month alone (the latest I discovered information for), BYD’s gross sales have risen to 40% of Toyota’s gross sales! So, from 2023 (full 12 months) to July 2024, BYD’s gross sales have gone from about 30% of Toyota’s complete to about 40% of Toyota’s complete. In that listing above, #3 Ford’s complete is about 45% of Toyota’s complete. So, even when BYD isn’t near #1 but, it’s extremely attainable BYD is already closing in on a podium place. We will see.

You might also word that Tesla is fifteenth on that listing. Naturally, if it may return to earlier progress charges, it may quickly climb up the highest 20 listing as effectively, however its gross sales truly declined within the first half of 2024, so we’ll must see the place that goes.

High Promoting Auto Teams within the World

Okay, that was auto manufacturers, however what about auto teams? Toyota will get a lift right here from including Lexus and Daihatsu, and Volkswagen will get a good larger increase by including a number of auto manufacturers. From this information supply, BYD’s numbers are the identical, which surprises me since my understanding was that there have been just a few auto manufacturers (like Denza) that weren’t included within the different numbers however ought to be included right here. Nonetheless, I’ve obtained to go together with the official information that I’ve discovered.

1. Toyota (contains Lexus and Daihatsu) — 11,097,836
2. Volkswagen (contains Audi, Skoda, Seat, Cupra, Porsche, Lamborghini) — 9,240,000
3. Hyundai–Kia — 7,080,563
4. Basic Motors (contains Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac) — 6,200,000
5. Nissan–Renault–Mitsubishi — 5,649,999
6. Stellantis (contains Fiat, Peugeot-Citroen, Jeep, Ram, Opel–Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo) — 5,602,268
7. Ford — 4,246,000
8. Honda — 3,854,000
9. Suzuki — 3,072,824
10. BYD — 2,885,066
11. Mercedes–Benz — 2,491,600
12. BMW — 2,252,793
13. Changan — 1,899,382
14. Tesla — 1,808,581
15. Wuling — 1,351,425
16. Geely — 1,341,065
17. Chery — 1,311,361
18. Mazda — 1,244,613
19. Subaru — 912,452
20. MG — 840,000

So, BYD has a much bigger hill to climb right here, but it surely’s basically the identical story. Tesla, you’ll word, truly climbed one place regardless of gross sales being the identical. That’s as a result of Audi was proper above it within the model rating however Audi’s complete obtained included within the Volkswagen Group complete within the #2 place right here.

Returning to these July 2024 figures referenced above, Toyota Group as a complete had 924,918 gross sales in July 2024 worldwide, whereas BYD had the aforementioned 342,383. Which means BYD’s gross sales complete was 37% of Toyota Group’s gross sales complete. Will probably be attention-grabbing to observe BYD’s rise and see how these totals and percentages change over time.