September was BYD's best sales month of 2026, with 463,561 new energy vehicles delivered, as the Chinese automaker continued its rebound from its early-2026 slump.
A sharp rise in overseas sales and a record month for the company's battery-electric passenger vehicles fueled the results.
Here's what to know
According to CnEVPost, September was BYD's strongest month of 2026, with NEV sales up 16.98% from September 2025 and 5.28% from August 2026. It also marked the company's fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth and its seventh straight monthly increase.
Third-quarter NEV sales totaled 1,323,065, up 19.41% from the second quarter of 2026 and 18.75% from the third quarter of 2025. That marked BYD's first quarter-on-year sales growth after four straight quarterly declines.
Of September's total, 456,713 were passenger NEVs, and 6,848 were commercial NEVs. Commercial sales rose 113.33% from September 2025, but fell 0.88% from August 2026.
The two passenger powertrain categories moved in different directions. CnEVPost data showed record battery-electric vehicle sales of 273,143, up 33.21% from September 2025, while plug-in hybrid sales fell 2.36% to 183,570, ending four straight months of year-over-year growth for that segment.
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More background
Fully electric models continued to gain share in BYD's passenger NEV lineup in September. BEVs made up 59.81% of passenger NEV sales, up from 59.12% in August 2026 and 52.17% in September 2025.
In the first nine months of 2026, BYD sold 3,131,576 NEVs, putting it 3.94% below the same period in 2025. That improved on the 6.84% decline recorded through August 2026.
Passenger BEVs were a relatively bright spot over that period. BYD sold 1,629,957 of them in the first nine months, up 1.50% from the same period in 2025 and enough to reverse the 3.14% decline it had shown through August 2026.
Passenger PHEVs moved the other way, totaling 1,448,587 in the first nine months, down 10.19%. That left all-electric models accounting for a larger share of BYD's recovery.
What's being done?
International demand has been a key component of BYD's recovery. In September, the company sold 180,700 vehicles outside China, up 153.59% from September 2025 even as that total slipped 4.63% from August 2026.
Overseas deliveries accounted for 38.98% of BYD's total NEV sales in September. CnEVPost data showed that was below the 43.03% share in August 2026 but far above the 17.98% share in September 2025, highlighting how much more important international markets have become to the company's sales base.
China remained the weaker side of the business. BYD's domestic sales were 282,861 in September, down 12.97% from September 2025 but up 12.77% from August 2026.
For the first nine months of 2026, overseas sales rose 92.66% to 1,342,960, while domestic sales fell 30.22% to 1,788,616. BYD's recovery has relied more on continued expansion abroad than on a full rebound at home.
Where can I learn more?
For more context on BYD's sales rebound, these stories look at how the automaker stacks up in the global EV market. They cover its race with Tesla, strong demand for key models, and push into higher-end vehicles.
• In 2025, BYD took the crown from Tesla as the world's top EV seller as demand accelerated.
• China's BYD toppled Tesla in global electric car sales as output kept climbing.
• BYD's 590-mile SUV sparked 100,000 preorders so fast that the company delayed launch.
• At Beijing's auto show, BYD secured over 30,000 orders for a new EV in the first 24 hours.
• BYD pushed further upmarket with a new $230,000 EV supercar aimed at Ferrari and Lamborghini.
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