Han Media: BYD Exceeds Hyundai for the First Time, Rises to Fourth in the World!
On November 21, the South Korean media "Chosun Ilbo" published an article stating that Chinese electric vehicle company BYD exceeded Hyundai Motor for the first time this year and ranked fourth in global car sales. This event is seen as a symbol of the global automotive market, which was previously dominated by traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, beginning to reorganize around Chinese electric vehicle brands.
According to market research company Car Industry Analysis, global new car sales from January to June 2025 reached 45.2 million units, an increase of 3.8% compared to the previous year.
Toyota Motor (4.73 million units) ranked first, Volkswagen (2.32 million units) ranked second, and Ford Motor (2.08 million units) ranked third. BYD's sales were approximately 2 million units, exceeding Hyundai (1.96 million units) for the first time and rising to fourth place.
BYD's sales increased by 31%, driven by the expansion of its hybrid and pure electric vehicle product lines and a surge in overseas exports. Especially, the market share has rapidly expanded in Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and parts of Europe.
BYD's rise is also evident in Hyundai's traditional strongholds. BYD is strengthening its influence in key markets such as Thailand, Brazil, and Mexico, which were previously dominated by Hyundai, through active pricing strategies and expanding local production.
Hyundai Motor maintains overall sales through popular models such as the Tucson, Elantra, and Ioniq, but maintaining profitability has become a challenge due to the low-price attacks from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.
In addition to BYD, Geely Auto has also achieved rapid growth. In the first half of this year, Geely Auto's sales were approximately 1 million units, an increase of 59%, driven by the success of its Galaxy and Star Wish series in China.
At the same time, Japanese automakers Nissan (-7.3%) and Honda (-7.4%) saw declines in sales due to their slow response to the transition to electric vehicles. Luxury brands Mercedes-Benz and Audi have also been affected by weak demand in the Chinese market.
If the current trend continues, BYD is expected to surpass Ford by the end of this year and enter the top three globally. This will be a landmark event indicating that the leadership in the global automotive industry's electrification transition is shifting from the West to China.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849404040264715/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.