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The UK has emerged as BYD's largest market outside China, driven by an astonishing 880% increase in sales during September. The Chinese carmaker sold 11,271 vehicles last month, primarily the plug-in hybrid version of its Seal U SUV. The UK's attractiveness stems from its absence of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, a factor that distinguishes it from other major markets such as the European Union and the United States.
BYD, which offers cheaper models than many of its Western rivals, said its share of the UK market jumped to 3.6% in September.
It comes after figures from the car industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) jumped to a record high in September.
The company will launch more new hybrid and electric cars in the months ahead, said BYD's UK manager Bono Ge. He added that the brand's future in Britain looks "hugely exciting", having just opened its 100th retail outlet.
UK EV sales hit a record high last month, with sales of pure battery electric vehicles rising to almost 73,000, according to the SMMT. Sales of plug-in hybrid cars grew even faster, it said.
The Kia Sportage, Ford Puma and Nissan Qashqai were the best-selling cars in September. Chinese models - the Jaecoo 7 and BYD Seal U - were also in the top 10.
But despite the surge in overall EV sales in the UK, petrol and diesel vehicles still made up more than half of new car sales last month, according to the SMMT.
In October last year, the EU announced it would hit imports of Chinese EVs with levies of up to 45%. The measure is aimed to protect European car makers from being undermined by what the EU believes are unfair Chinese-state subsidies.
Chinese car makers like BYD have been effectively shut out of the US by high tariffs, which were backed by both President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden.
Despite slowing sales in China, BYD remains well ahead of US rival Tesla globally. Its sales have also outpaced European rivals, including Jaguar and BMW.
