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Daniel Ren

The global energy crisis has helped propel BYD back into pole position in China’s automotive sector, allowing it to regain ground on Geely Auto as demand for battery-powered vehicles accelerates worldwide.
The Shenzhen-based electric vehicle (EV) maker, which lost its title as mainland China’s largest carmaker in the first quarter of 2026, rebounded strongly in the following two months as the US-Israel war with Iran drove up oil prices. Its overseas deliveries surged 76 per cent year on year to nearly 300,000 units during the period.
The recovery has reinforced founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu’s ambition to build BYD into the world’s largest carmaker by 2030, backed by advances in next-generation batteries and autonomous-driving technology.
According to company data, BYD delivered 1.41 million vehicles globally between January and May, 19 per cent more than Geely’s 1.18 million units.
Geely, which sells petrol and electric vehicles under brands including Zeekr, Lynk and Galaxy, had edged ahead in the first quarter, delivering 709,538 vehicles compared with BYD’s 700,463.
“Rising EV adoption across the globe in April and May tipped the balance in favour of BYD, despite a lacklustre domestic market,” said Phate Zhang, founder of Shanghai-based data provider CnEVPost. “Brisk sales outside China turned out to be the major growth driver for the EV maker.”
BYD sold 616,907 vehicles overseas in the first five months of the year, up 65 per cent from a year earlier and accounting for 44 per cent of total deliveries.
The company is targeting 1.3 million overseas sales in 2026, up about 24 per cent from 2025, supported by new model launches and an expanded sales network, according to Li Yunfei, BYD’s general manager for branding and public relations.
The Middle East conflict and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass – pushed Brent crude prices up by more than 60 per cent between February 28 and April 29. Prices have since eased, falling 11 per cent to about US$85 a barrel on Wednesday.
As fuel costs climbed, consumers around the world have increasingly turned to electric vehicles to reduce running expenses.

BYD, already the world’s largest EV manufacturer, is aiming to deliver more than 10 million vehicles annually by 2030, more than double its 2025 sales of 4.6 million units. Speaking at a shareholders’ meeting on Tuesday, Wang outlined plans to overtake Toyota and become the world’s biggest carmaker.
In late May, BYD announced that its “God’s Eye” advanced driver-assistance system would be priced at just 12,000 yuan (US$1,772), with the goal of eventually eliminating traffic accidents when the technology is engaged.
The move underscored the company’s determination to secure a leading position in the future of mobility by producing increasingly intelligent vehicles at lower cost.
Geely, which ranked second to BYD in vehicle deliveries last year, said in February that it would focus on extending driving range and improving charging speeds rather than cutting prices to strengthen its position in China, the world’s largest car market.
In December, the company opened a 2 billion yuan safety-testing facility in Ningbo, an industrial hub in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.
Geely Auto’s parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, also owns Volvo Cars and holds a stake in Mercedes-Benz Group.
Geely’s overseas sales – including both petrol and electric vehicles – jumped 158 per cent year on year to 371,354 units in the first five months of 2026, representing 31.5 per cent of total deliveries.
Chinese carmakers, from BYD to Stellantis-backed Leapmotor, were expected to deliver 2.5 million vehicles to customers in western Europe by 2028, giving them a 20 per cent share of the market largely due to their advantages in production and technology, according to Nick Lai, JPMorgan’s head of Asia-Pacific auto research.
Chinese brands sold about 1 million vehicles in western Europe in 2025, including in major markets such as Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.


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Strong overseas demand for battery-powered cars helped BYD recover from a first-quarter setback and retake pole position


Strong overseas demand for battery-powered cars helped BYD recover from a first-quarter setback and retake pole position.


BYD powers past Geely as oil shock charges up global EV demand

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Strong overseas demand for battery-powered cars helped BYD recover from a first-quarter setback and retake pole position

Strong overseas demand for battery-powered cars helped BYD recover from a first-quarter setback and retake pole position