BYD registered 21,337 vehicles in the UK during Q1 2026, its best-ever quarterly result. March sales of 15,162 units represented a 134% year-on-year increase and more than 3.98% market share. The SEAL U DM-i was the top-selling model, with volatile fuel prices boosting demand for electrified powertrains.
BYD registered 21,337 vehicles in the UK during the first quarter of 2026, marking the Chinese automaker’s strongest-ever Q1 performance in the country.
March alone accounted for 15,162 of those registrations — a 134% increase on the same month the previous year — giving BYD a UK market share of more than 3.98%, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The result maintained BYD’s position as the top-selling new energy vehicle (NEV) brand in the UK, with the company holding more than 11% of combined battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) registrations in March.
The SEAL U DM-i was the best-selling model across the quarter, while the SEAL led BYD’s fully electric lineup. The company says volatile fuel prices are generating strong interest in both its Super Hybrid DM-i powertrain — which offers up to 935 miles on a full tank in the SEAL 6 DM-i Saloon — and its pure electric models.
Several new additions to the range contributed to the result, including the SEALION 5 DM-i and the SEAL 6 in both Saloon and Touring variants.
“We’re naturally delighted to have achieved such impressive UK car sales in March and the overall quarter,” says Bono Ge, country manager of BYD UK. “Our cars, with their strong value-for-money and appealing style and technology continue to really strike a chord with both private and fleet buyers up and down the country.”
Ge adds that fluctuating pump prices are prompting more British buyers to explore the brand’s electric and plug-in hybrid offerings.
BYD’s UK retail network currently spans 132 sites, with a target of 150 operational locations by summer 2026. The company also confirmed the upcoming UK launch of its technology-focused premium brand, Denza.
BYD was founded in 1994 as a rechargeable battery manufacturer and now operates across more than 100 countries. The company says it has mastered the full NEV industrial chain, covering batteries, electric motors, electronic controllers, and automotive-grade semiconductors.
