Hyundai, Kia Retain 3rd Spot Globally Amid Growing Threat from Chinese EVs

On Aug. 27, Nikkei, referencing data from MarkLines, a global auto market research firm, and various company reports, revealed that Chinese EV manufacturer BYD has entered the top 10 in global new car sales for the first half of the year (January-June).

BYD’s sales stood at 1.25 million units, a 96% increase from the same period last year.

Hyundai Motor Group sold 3.65 million units worldwide in the first half of the year, ranking third after Toyota Group (5.41 million) and Volkswagen Group (4.37 million). Hyundai and Kia retained their 3rd place spot among global car groups, a position they first achieved in the first half of the previous year.

The top nine automakers remained unchanged from the previous year, but BYD, powered by the rising popularity of EVs, outpaced Mercedes-Benz and BMW to enter the top 10.

Having ranked outside the top 20 in 2021, BYD climbed to 16th last year and secured 10th place this year. For the first half of the year, BYD topped the global sales charts for electric and hybrid cars in 14 major countries, as recorded by MarkLines, with Tesla trailing in second place.