BYD Marks 19 Million Vehicles Built While Brussels Pressure and a Brokerage Trim Cloud the Picture

BYD has rolled its 19-millionth new-energy vehicle off the line, a Fang Cheng Bao Tai 9 built in Xi'an, the company said Monday — a production landmark that arrived the same day its Hong Kong-listed shares slipped 2.4% amid a broad retreat in Chinese electric-vehicle names.

The stock move came as CLSA cut its price target on the automaker from HK$109 to HK$100 while keeping its buy rating, and as Reuters reported that more than a dozen members of the European Parliament urged the European Commission on 4 November to assess potential security risks posed by BYD vehicles. The lawmakers also want the Commission to weigh whether restrictions — including a possible exclusion from public procurement — should be considered.

Monday's pullback was not confined to BYD. Li Auto, XPeng, Leapmotor and Nio all traded lower, with technology and EV stocks weighing on the Hang Seng Index.

A Milestone, a Launch and a Price Cut

The Xi'an anniversary vehicle belongs to Fang Cheng Bao, which simultaneously opened reservations for the Tai 9 SUV. Two days earlier, on Thursday, BYD had launched the second generation of its Seal 07 in China, offered as both a battery-electric model and a plug-in hybrid. UOB Kay Hian put the price range at RMB 139,900 to RMB 172,900 in a Thursday note, with the entry price of the pure-electric version 12% below its March level.

Exports Do the Heavy Lifting

Sales figures confirmed roughly a week earlier painted a two-speed picture. Worldwide deliveries reached about 490,000 vehicles in October, up 11% year on year, but the growth leaned heavily on foreign markets: overseas shipments jumped 102.8% to some 170,000 units. According to Reuters, exports carried the load as domestic demand stayed soft and price competition remained fierce.

For the first ten months of the year, BYD reported around 3.62 million vehicles sold — a tally that, despite October's advance, still trails the prior-year period by 2.16%.

An Apology and a Free Wheel Swap

Separately, BYD apologised after front and rear wheels were fitted the wrong way round on some Great Tang SUVs. A supplier coding error caused the mix-up, the company said, adding that testing had shown no effect on handling or safety. Affected owners are being offered free inspections and replacement wheels, along with transport assistance and a reset of their vehicle warranties.