BYD's Overseas Surge Meets Political Headwinds as Korean Executive Prepares to Testify

BYD's September registrations jumped 61.1% in Australia and 80% in the UK, but its Frankfurt-listed shares sit 21% below their level at the start of the year.

BYD is proving that its growth story increasingly rests on foreign soil. Fresh registration figures from Australia and the United Kingdom show the Chinese electric-vehicle maker capturing serious ground abroad, even as its share price continues to struggle in Frankfurt, where the stock slipped 0.6% to EUR 8.47 on Tuesday and now sits 21% below its level at the start of the year.

Australia and the UK Deliver Double-Digit Momentum

In Australia, BYD cemented its standing as the country's second-strongest auto brand behind Toyota during September, delivering 8,191 vehicles — a 61.1% jump compared with the same month a year earlier. Over the first nine months of the year, Australian sales have more than doubled, climbing 102% year on year.

Britain tells a similar story. According to the country's industry body SMMT, BYD recorded 20,129 new registrations there in September, an 80% increase over the prior-year month, giving it a market share of 5.76%. That overseas traction is central to management's plan to gradually reduce its reliance on the brutal price war at home in China. Yet rising volumes bring rising friction, both political and operational.

London Weighs Tariffs, Seoul Wants Answers

In the UK, new obstacles may be looming. British media reports suggest the government is considering special duties on Chinese EVs to preserve domestic manufacturing sites' long-term access to European regulations. Currently, such vehicle imports face a baseline tariff of 10%.

South Korea presents a different kind of pressure. Sales there reached 20,137 new registrations in the first nine months, but the service side of the business is now under scrutiny. On Wednesday, BYD Korea representative Cho In-cheol is due to testify before the South Korean parliament's transport committee, where lawmakers are expected to press him on an average repair turnaround of 9.8 days and elevated damage rates on imported vehicles.

September Output and the Ten-Millionth Milestone

Back at the factory gates, BYD reported preliminary, unaudited figures for September: 463,864 vehicles with alternative drivetrains produced and 463,561 sold. Battery-electric passenger cars accounted for the bulk of deliveries at 273,143 units, while plug-in hybrids contributed 183,570. Exports of new-energy vehicles reached 180,700 for the month.

The broader picture is less buoyant. Across the first nine months of the calendar year, sales totaled 3,131,576 vehicles — a decline of 3.94% versus the same period last year. In manufacturing, however, the company marked a symbolic achievement: the Da Han sedan rolled off the line as the ten-millionth vehicle in the Dynasty series.

New Models Aim to Recharge Demand

To reignite sales, BYD keeps widening its lineup. Deliveries of the Formula S for the Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand began in late September, priced in China between 189,900 and 229,900 yuan. Together with the GT variant, management expects monthly volumes of more than 10,000, potentially reaching 15,000 units. Customer registration has also opened for the Ti 9, a flagship SUV slated for first deliveries in the fourth quarter.

In South Korea, the local unit has opened pre-orders for an all-wheel-drive version of the Sealion 6 DM-i plug-in hybrid, part of a push to entrench its position across Asia-Pacific. At the most recent shareholder meeting, investors approved governance changes, board elections, director compensation, and an asset-pool transaction involving external guarantees.

With the stock trading below its long-term moving averages, the market is clearly watching how BYD balances overseas expansion and margin pressure at home — and whether reliable service networks in import markets can lock in the share gains it has fought for.