BYD has delivered its 100,000 vehicle in Australia, less than three and a half years after being officially launched here in November 2022.
That’s less than half the sales volume achieved last year by Toyota, which has sold more than 200,000 vehicles annually (the only brand to do so) for 14 consecutive years and has been the Australian market leader for 23 consecutive years.
Nevertheless, BYD’s rapid rise in the Australian marketplace in such a short period of time has been nothing short of meteoric.
In 2025, its third full year on sale here, BYD hit the top 10 by placing eighth overall in Australia’s new-car sales race with 52,415 vehicles sold – up 156.2 per cent on 2024 – thanks in large part to the popularity of models including the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute and Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV.
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And last month BYD placed third for the first time in a single month with 7217 sales, finishing behind only Toyota (16,574) and Kia (7320), but ahead of Mazda (7156) and Ford (7149), surging past fellow Chinese brands including GWM (5680), MG (4218) and Chery (4018).
BYD’s sales spike last month was in part due to increased demand for electric vehicles (EVs) amid the fuel supply crisis created by war in the Middle East, leading it to triple its shipment volumes to Australia with 30,000 vehicles now due to arrive here across May and June.
The company says significant additional production is also expected in the third quarter of this year.
Today BYD said it would prioritise delivery of its “new energy” vehicles to essential workers who rely on mobility to serve their communities – including doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, police, fire, ambulance and SES volunteers – amid cost-of-living challenges and “during this period of unprecedented demand for electric and ultra-efficient hybrid vehicles”.
“Ultimately, we want to minimise wait times for all customers, because everyone is feeling the pinch. The 30,000 vehicles arriving by June will go a long way to helping,” said BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins.
“We will work closely with our national dealer network to provide priority access – not exclusivity – for those delivering critical services to the community, while maintaining availability for the broader public.”
BYD Australia said it will supervise the priority process for essential workers, which are broadly defined as those whose work is necessary to ensure public safety, health, welfare or the functioning of society, with eligibility verified via standard employment documentation, and “auditing in place to ensure integrity and consistency”.
BYD’s ongoing sales boom has also been spurred by an onslaught of new model launches, which will soon bring the number of models in its range to 13.
The Chinese brand was launched in late 2022 with the Atto 3 small/medium electric SUV, which has since been joined by its top-selling Shark 6 ute, the Atto 1 light electric hatch, Dolphin small electric hatch, Atto 2 small electric SUV, Seal mid-size electric sedan, the Sealion 5 and 6 mid-size plug-in hybrid SUVs, the Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV, and the Sealion 8 large plug-in hybrid SUV.
So far in 2026 the Sealion 7 is Australia’s second most popular EV behind the Tesla Model Y, and the Shark 6 is the fifth-best selling ute behind the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max.
BYD says the Shark 6 is also this country’s top-selling pickup and plug-in hybrid among private buyers.
While Toyota still has many more models in its lineup, another four new BYD models have been confirmed for release in the second and third quarters of 2026, including the Seal 6 mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan and wagon, and the Shark 6 Dynamic cab/chassis and Shark 6 Performance flagship with 3500kg towing capacity.
In the first three months of this year, BYD Australia delivered 17,541 vehicles (up 9.9 per cent on the same period in 2025), putting it on track to sell about 70,000 vehicles in 2026 – a figure which last year would have eclipsed all brands except Toyota (239,863), Ford (94,399), Mazda (91,923), Kia (82,105) and Hyundai (77,208).
Indeed, in October 2025 Mr Collins told media that BYD’s Australian market ambition is “definitely [to] be close to the top three” this year.
And with a jam-packed pipeline of other future models planned, BYD’s former independent distributor EVDirect, which was replaced by a factory-owned operation mid-2025, even predicted BYD would topple Toyota as Australian market leader by 2030.
The 100,000 BYD vehicle sold in Australia was a blue Shark 6, which was presented to customer Tim Shaw by BYD General Manager Asia Pacific, Liu Xueliang, in Brisbane earlier this month, a little over 12 months after it celebrated its 40,000th sale in March 2025.
“The growth of BYD Australia over the last three and a half years has been remarkable,” said Mr Collins in a press release yesterday.
“Australian motorists want stylish, practical and affordable new energy vehicles, now more than ever. It’s our pleasure to hand over our 100,000th vehicle today.
“With over 100 sales and service centres around Australia, and growing, we’re proud to be building a national network that will support all BYD owners. We have exciting plans for continued growth in Australia.”
Of course, BYD also has its luxury brand Denza – a direct rival for the likes of Toyota’s Lexus premium brand – which is aiming to be among Australia’s five top prestige players this year.
BMW was the number one luxury brand here last year with 26,852 sales, ahead of Mercedes-Benz (22,850), Audi (16,014), Lexus (14,561) and Land Rover (8339).
The Denza brand was launched Down Under in late 2025 with the large B5 and B8 plug-in hybrid off-road SUVs, which were recently followed by the D9 electric people mover, with the Z9 GT electric super-wagon to join the range in the fourth quarter of this year.
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