BYD is continuing its meteoric rise in the UK with soaring sales and public brand recognition.

The Atto 3 SUV is still BYD’s best-selling model

China’s biggest electric vehicle maker launched in the UK in 2023 and increased its volume by 658% to over 8,700 cars during 2024 – making it the UK’s fastest-growing car brand.

At the same time, public brand recognition grew from 1% to 31%, driven massively by the company’s sponsorship of the Euro 2024 football tournament. Dealer sites have also grown from 14 in January 2024, to 60 by December 2024, with plans to add more sites in 2025.

BYD’s first UK car to launch was the Atto 3 C-segment SUV – still its best-selling model – swiftly followed by the Dolphin hatchback, Seal saloon and the new Sealion 7 SUV while the Atto 2 is due February. BYD also debuted its first plug-in hybrid last year, the Seal U PHEV D-segment SUV, for those not ready to go fully electric yet.

Next up is a range of fully electric LCVs and trucks. Unveiled at IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover, the new models include the E-Vali electric LCV aimed at last-mile and courier delivery services.

BYD already has a long history in the UK commercial vehicle sector; it introduced its first fully electric buses on UK roads in 2014, and now has over 2,000 buses in operation in major cities across the country.

BYD is also mulling plans for a UK launch of its Yangwang and Denza luxury sub-brands.

Steve Beattie, sales and marketing director, BYD UK: “In the past two years, BYD has gone from strength to strength and I’m immensely proud of the hard work and dedication of our team and retailers. BYD aims to bring high-tech and high-value cars to UK customers, and it’s fantastic to see more people choosing BYD.”