BYD Marks 15 Million NEVs as Europe Expansion Accelerates
BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), has celebrated the production of its 15 millionth NEV, marking another decisive step towards sustainable mobility and cleaner transport.
New Energy Vehicles include pure-electric battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and electrified models that use the breakthrough Super Hybrid with DM technology. BYD places the performance, efficiency, and ownership benefits of these powertrains at the heart of its strategy, supporting its broader ambition to cool the earth by 1 degree.
BYD employees marked the milestone with a ceremony at the company’s Jinan factory in China, which began mass manufacturing three years ago. The 15 millionth NEV to leave a BYD production line was the 15,000th example of the N8L, a large six-seat SUV from DENZA, BYD’s premium, technology-led brand. It uses the identical Super Hybrid and e3 (“e-cube”) platform as the Z9GT, the shooting brake set to spearhead DENZA’s introduction to Europe in 2026.
BYD built its first New Energy Vehicle, the F3DM, in 2008, when it launched the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid. The company took 13 years to manufacture its first million NEVs, then accelerated rapidly as it expanded production and demand grew. BYD moved from 10 million to 15 million vehicles in just 13 months, and it produced the 14 millionth NEV as recently as 9 October 2025.
The milestone caps a strong year of growth. BYD produced 4.182 million vehicles in the first 11 months of 2025, an 11.3% year-on-year increase. The company sold 917,000 cars overseas in the same period, exceeding its total for the whole of 2024, while its global footprint now covers more than 110 countries and regions.
As a technology company, BYD continues to invest heavily in research and development. In the first three quarters of 2025, BYD invested RMB 43.75 billion (5.3 billion euros) in R&D, up 31% year on year, taking cumulative R&D investment to more than RMB 220 billion (26.65 billion euros). This long-term commitment has delivered advances across battery chemistry and packaging, intelligent driving assistance and megawatt Flash Charging, which makes recharging as fast as refuelling and is set to reach Europe in 2026.
BYD now sells vehicles in 33 European countries through 1,000 points of sale. The company has already put plans in place to double its dealership network by the end of 2026.