Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD recorded surging sales in Europe last month after it launched more models and expanded its sales network, narrowing its gap with market leader Tesla.
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The Shenzhen-based carmaker racked up 24,963 new-car registrations in Europe in September, nearly five times its deliveries of 5,013 units a year ago, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, known as the ACEA. The association tracks vehicle sales across the European Union, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Tesla posted a 10.5 per cent year-on-year decline in September sales, handing a total of 39,837 vehicles to European customers.
“The numbers further proved that BYD’s internationalisation strategy is working well,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “As the world’s largest EV builder, BYD still needs to increase sales outside China to display its design and manufacturing capabilities.”
BYD planned to double its showrooms in Europe to 2,000 in 2026 and to create a complete local supply chain for its European production, executive vice-president Stella Li said on the sidelines of the IAA Mobility conference in Munich last month.
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In Europe, BYD sells 13 models, up from six two years ago, and has said that all its models sold there would be locally built by 2028.