BYD, Tesla's biggest EV rival, sold 490,168 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in October, according to figures released on Sunday, Nov. 1. That is up 10.97% from a year earlier and 5.74% from September. CnEVPost says it is the company's highest month since December 2024.

Battery EVs carry the month

  • Battery electric passenger cars: 305,743, up 37.38% year on year and above 300,000 for the first time.
  • Plug-in hybrid passenger cars: 177,382, down 17.23%, their second straight annual fall.
  • BEVs made up 63.28% of BYD's passenger NEV sales, up from 50.95% a year ago.
  • Commercial NEVs: 7,043.

Exports up, China down

CnEVPost puts October NEV exports at 170,194, up 102.84%, and sales in China at 319,974, down 10.57% year on year. Inside China Auto gives a similar overseas figure of 169,564, more than double last October's 83,524. It says domestic sales fell about 10%.

For the first 10 months, BYD has sold 3,621,744 NEVs, down 2.16% year on year. Exports are up 93.75% to 1,513,154.

Why it matters for Tesla

BYD's shift toward pure battery EVs puts it more directly against Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y in export markets. The second-generation Seal 07 sedan is due on Nov. 5.