• BYD posted its fifth consecutive month of year-on-year NEV sales growth and seventh consecutive month of sequential growth.
• Passenger BEV sales hit a record 273,143, with cumulative sales for the first 9 months returning to year-on-year growth.

BYD (HKEX: 1211) sold 463,561 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in September, up 16.98% year-on-year and its highest monthly total this year, extending a recovery from a weak start to 2026.

The figures released by the Chinese automaker on Thursday marked its fifth consecutive month of year-on-year sales growth. Sales rose 5.28% from August, its seventh consecutive monthly increase.

BYD sold 1,323,065 NEVs in the third quarter, up 18.75% year-on-year and 19.41% from the second quarter, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

This marked the company's return to quarterly year-on-year sales growth after 4 consecutive quarters of declines.

In the first 9 months of the year, cumulative NEV sales totaled 3,131,576 units, down 3.94% year-on-year, narrowing the decline from 6.84% in the first 8 months.

BYD's passenger NEV sales in September reached 456,713, up 16.19% year-on-year and 5.38% month-on-month.

Commercial NEV sales totaled 6,848, up 113.33% year-on-year but down 0.88% month-on-month.

Sales trends diverged between all-electric and plug-in hybrid models. Passenger battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales hit a record 273,143, up 33.21% year-on-year and 6.60% month-on-month.

Passenger plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales totaled 183,570, down 2.36% year-on-year, ending a streak of 4 consecutive months of year-on-year growth. Sales rose 3.62% from August.

BEVs accounted for 59.81% of passenger NEV sales in September, up from 59.12% in August and 52.17% a year earlier, showing a continued shift in the sales mix toward all-electric models.

In the first 9 months, BYD's cumulative passenger BEV sales reached 1,629,957, up 1.50% year-on-year, reversing a 3.14% decline in the first 8 months. Passenger PHEV sales fell 10.19% to 1,448,587 over the same period.

Overseas business remained the main driver offsetting weakness in the domestic market. BYD's overseas sales totaled 180,700 in September, up 153.59% year-on-year though down 4.63% from August.

Overseas sales accounted for 38.98% of total NEV sales that month, below August's 43.03% but well above 17.98% a year earlier.

BYD's domestic sales totaled 282,861 in September, still down 12.97% year-on-year but up 12.77% from August, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

In the first 9 months, BYD's overseas sales rose 92.66% to 1,342,960, while domestic sales fell 30.22% to 1,788,616.

BYD is increasing its bet in overseas markets. In a September 7 research note citing management comments, Deutsche Bank said the company had raised its 2026 overseas sales guidance to 1.9 million to 2 million vehicles and was targeting more than 2.5 million in 2027.

As sales recovered, BYD launched a major recruitment drive in September at its largest production base in Xi'an, seeking more than 8,000 workers across multiple facilities.