BYD delivered his 100,000 vehicle in Australia, less than three and a half years after its official launch 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 per year for 14 consecutive years (the only brand) and has been the Australian market leader for 23 consecutive years.
Nevertheless, BYD’s rapid rise in the Australian market has been nothing short of meteoric in such a short space of time.
In 2025, its third full year of sales here, BYD reached the top 10 and placed eighth overall in the Australian new car sales race with 52,415 vehicles sold – up 156.2 percent from 2024 – thanks in large part to the popularity of models such as the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute and the Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
And last month, BYD took third place for the first time in a month with 7,217 sales, finishing only behind Toyota (16,574) and Kia (7,320) but ahead of Mazda (7,156) and Ford (7,149), overtaking other Chinese brands such as GWM (5,680), MG (4,218) and Chery (4,018).
BYD’s sales increase last month was partly due to increased demand for electric vehicles (EVs) due to the fuel supply crisis caused by the war in the Middle East, leading the company to triple its delivery volume to Australia, with 30,000 vehicles now scheduled to arrive here in May and June.
According to the company, significant additional production is also expected in the third quarter of this year.
BYD today announced that it will prioritize the 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 – given cost of living challenges and “during this time of unprecedented demand for electric and high-efficiency hybrid vehicles.”
“Ultimately we want to minimize waiting times for all customers because everyone is feeling the pinch. The 30,000 vehicles arriving by June will make a big contribution,” BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins said.
“We will work closely with our national dealer network to provide priority access – rather than exclusivity – to those who provide essential services to the community, while maintaining availability to the general public.”
BYD Australia said it would oversee the priority process for essential workers, defined broadly as those whose work is necessary to ensure public safety, health, welfare or the functioning of society, with eligibility verified through standard employment documents and “checks conducted to ensure integrity and consistency.”
BYD’s ongoing sales boom has also been fueled by a spate of new model launches, which will soon bring the number of models in the 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 the best-selling Shark 6 ute, Atto 1 light electric hatch, Dolphin small electric hatch, Atto 2 small electric SUV, Seal mid-size electric sedan, Sealion 5 and 6 mid-size plug-in hybrid SUVs, Sealion 7 mid-size electric SUV and Sealion 8 large plug-in hybrid SUV have been added.
So far in 2026, the Sealion 7 is Australia’s second most popular electric vehicle behind the Tesla Model Y, and the Shark 6 is the fifth best selling electric vehicle behind the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max.
According to BYD, the Shark 6 is also the best-selling pickup and plug-in hybrid in this country among private buyers.
While Toyota has many more models on offer, a further four new BYD models have been confirmed to release in the second and third quarters of 2026, including the Seal 6 mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan and wagon, as well as the Shark 6 Dynamic cab/chassis and Shark 6 Performance flagship with 3,500kg towing capacity.
In the first three months of this year, BYD Australia delivered 17,541 vehicles (up 9.9 percent compared to the same period in 2025), putting it on track to sell around 70,000 vehicles in 2026 – a figure that last year surpassed all brands except Toyota (239,863), Ford (94,399), Mazda (91,923), Kia (82,105) and Hyundai in would have eclipsed (77.208).
In fact, in October 2025, Mr Collins told the media that BYD’s Australian market target was to “definitely be close to the top three this year”.
And with a bulging pipeline of more future models planned, BYD’s former independent distributor EVDirect, which was replaced by a factory-owned operation in mid-2025, even predicted BYD would topple Toyota as the Australian market leader by 2030.
The 100,000 The BYD vehicle sold in Australia was a blue Shark 6, given to customer Tim Shaw by BYD General Manager Asia Pacific Liu
“BYD Australia’s growth over the last three and a half years has been remarkable,” Mr Collins said in a press release yesterday.
“Australian drivers want stylish, practical and affordable new energy vehicles more than ever. It is our pleasure to deliver our 100,000th vehicle today.
“With over 100 sales and service centers across Australia and counting, we are proud to build a nationwide network to support all BYD owners. We have exciting plans for further growth in Australia.”
Of course, BYD also has its luxury brand Denza – a direct competitor to Toyota’s premium Lexus brand – which is aiming to be one of Australia’s top five prestige players this year.
Here, BMW was the number one luxury brand last year with 26,852 sales, ahead of Mercedes-Benz (22,850), Audi (16,014), Lexus (14,561) and Land Rover (8,339).
The Denza brand was launched Down Under in late 2025 with the large plug-in hybrid off-road SUVs B5 and B8, which were recently followed by the D9 electric people mover and the Z9 GT electric super station wagon will be added to the range in the fourth quarter of this year.
MORE: Explore the BYD showroom
