The new BYD SEAL executive saloon
CHINESE electric vehicle brand BYD has topped the global EV sales chart, pipping Tesla to the number one spot in selling more than three million vehicles during 2023.
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, has also just announced it is to open a European factory in Hungary.
In December alone it achieved sales of 341,043 units, a 45 per cent increase, culminating in a total of 3,024,417 vehicles sold throughout the year, a 61.9 per cent rise from the previous year.
In 2023, BYD saw exports grow by 334.2 per cent to 242,765 units and it has a presence in more than 70 countries on six continents.
Meanwhile, the BYD SEAL has been honoured as the “One to Watch” in the Company Car and Van Awards 2024.
The SEAL features an 8-in-1 electric drivetrain with electric motor that delivers 313PS on the rear-wheel-drive version. The all-wheel drive configuration features an 8-in-1 and a 3-in-1 electric drivetrain that boasts a maximum combined power output of 530PS.
BYD started selling electric vehicles in the UK last year with the Atto 3 SUV which it followed in the summer with the Dolphin hatchback and Seal coupe.
Founded in 1995 as a rechargeable battery maker, BYD has diversified to cover cars, rail systems like Skyrail, new energy, and electronics with more than 30 industrial parks in China, the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan and India as well as the new facility in Hungary.
