The Chinese automaker that became the world’s largest seller of plug-in electric cars in 2023 was BYD.
BYD’s distinction comes from counting both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, each of which can be charged from an external power source. The company’s broad lineup, strong presence in China and vertically integrated battery and vehicle manufacturing helped it achieve enormous sales volume.
BYD ended 2023 with more than 3 million new-energy vehicle sales, including roughly 1.57 million battery-electric vehicles and roughly 1.44 million plug-in hybrids. In the fourth quarter alone, its battery-electric sales briefly surpassed Tesla’s, making BYD the leading automaker on a broader plug-in basis for the year.
The wording matters: Tesla remained the leading company for battery-electric-only sales across 2023, while BYD’s plug-in total included hybrids. BYD originally began as a rechargeable-battery company and later expanded into automobiles, buses, commercial vehicles and energy storage.