BYD does what even Tesla hasn't; is first automaker to make 6 million PHEVs, EVs
- No other manufacturer in the world has rolled out a combined six million units of plug-in hybrids and fully-electric models.
Tesla may be the global leader when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) and has a sizeable lead over all its rivals. But China's BYD is mounting a massive challenge and recently became the first automaker anywhere in the world to manufacture six million EVs and plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs).
While Tesla has no PHEV model in its portfolio, BYD has managed to diversify its electric offerings and hit the key milestone of six million combined production figure before any other manufacturer. The company began manufacturing EVs and PHEVs in 2008 and in less than two decades, managed to reach the figure. It is interesting to note here that BYD also used to manufacture cars with internal combustion engines but decided to focus only on electric iterations in April of 2022.
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BYD informed that the six-millionth unit was a Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 5 plug-in hybrid SUV that rolled out from its factory in Zhengzhou. The vehicle had made its debut in August of last year and is slightly smaller in dimensions when compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
The Chinese company's rise has been quite meteoric and its focus on PHEVs and EVs may be adding strong winds to its proverbial sales. And while Toyota has manufactured over 15 million self-charging hybrid car units and Tesla hit five million mark for its range of fully-electric vehicles in September, BYD can still walk away with the crown when it comes to PHEVs and EVs combined.
PHEVs and EVs combined are referred to as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in China. The Chinese market is the largest in the world and while the competition between local and global players is absolutely intense, there is enormous opportunities as well. And these are the opportunities that BYD may have taken full advantage of. After all, while it took the company 13 years to manufacture its first million NEV units, the second million came in just one year. Six months is what BYD took to reach the three million mark while the next two million came in nine months. The most-recent million came in three months after the company expanded its production capacity. BYD has nine production factories across China and supplies the local market as well as ships units to 57 markets across the world.
