Korean Media: BYD Surpasses Volkswagen and Hyundai to Claim Another First!
On April 25, South Korean media outlet NEWSPIM published an article stating that BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, has achieved its first monthly sales victory in Brazil's automotive market, reshaping the market landscape. Driven by such rapid progress from various automakers, Chinese companies have overtaken Japan—which had held the top spot for 25 consecutive years—to become the world’s leading country in automobile sales.
Data from the National Federation of Automobile Dealers in Brazil shows that BYD’s electric vehicle model, the "Dolphin Mini," ranked first in single-model sales in Brazil during February this year.
This marks the first time a Chinese automotive brand has claimed the monthly sales champion title in the Brazilian market. Simultaneously, it is also the first instance in Brazil’s automotive history where an electric vehicle outperformed traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in monthly retail sales.
In February, BYD’s Dolphin Mini sold 4,810 units—significantly ahead of second-place Volkswagen Terra (3,856 units) and third-place Hyundai Creta (3,597 units).
Thanks to strong overseas sales of electric vehicles, BYD has risen to fourth place among car manufacturers in Brazil’s sales rankings by 2025, firmly establishing itself as the No. 1 brand in Brazil’s electric vehicle sector with overwhelming dominance.
Analysts point out that rising prices of internal combustion engine fuels are prompting Brazilian consumers to rapidly switch to electric vehicles, while oil price volatility caused by instability in the Middle East will accelerate this trend.
According to data from Brazil’s national oil company, the average price of regular gasoline across Brazil reached approximately 6.30 reais per liter in early March this year—an increase of about 37% compared to 4.60 reais per liter in March 2020.
Amid recent surges in international oil prices, Brazil is striving to alleviate domestic fuel price increases through tax incentives and price control policies; however, widespread analysis suggests it will be difficult to completely halt the fundamental upward trend in energy costs.
Experts assess that “as the trend of high oil prices driven by global instability becomes increasingly entrenched, demand for lower-maintenance-cost electric vehicles will grow even more rapidly. Chinese automakers focused on new energy vehicles, adopting aggressive pricing strategies and expanding product lines, will swiftly expand their market share in Brazil.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863429988139020/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.