BYD overtakes Hyundai in non-China EV market as global sales surge

Global electric vehicle deliveries outside China reached 4.598 million units in the first half of 2026, a 30.3% jump from 3.529 million a year earlier, according to data released by South Korean research firm SNE Research on August 10. The surge reshaped the competitive landscape, with BYD leapfrogging Hyundai Motor Group to claim third place among automakers selling EVs outside their home market.sedaily+1

Chinese Brands Charge Ahead

BYD sold 497,000 EVs outside China in the first half, an 81.4% increase that propelled it from sixth to third place in the non-China market. Its battery installations outside China rose 67.9% year-over-year to 28.2 GWh, lifting its share of the non-China power battery market from 7.9% to 10.5%. The company's rapid expansion into Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America drove growth, with cumulative overseas passenger vehicle sales in the first seven months of 2026 reaching 969,000 units.news.metal+1

Volkswagen held first place with 635,000 units, while Tesla ↗ 0.70% ranked second with 599,000 units, a 31.0% increase that kept its market share steady at 13.0%. Hyundai Motor Group grew 25.9% to 370,000 units but fell to fourth as its pace lagged the market average.sedaily

Korean Battery Makers Lose Ground

The shift extended beyond vehicle sales into the battery supply chain. The combined installations of LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI fell 6.3% year-over-year to 74.3 GWh, and their collective market share outside China dropped from 37.2% to 27.6%. Samsung SDI suffered the steepest decline at 29.0%, hurt by sluggish sales at Rivian ↗ 2.44% and slowing demand from European clients.news.metal

Meanwhile, six Chinese battery companies in the top ten lifted their combined share from 44.2% to 55.1%. CATL Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited led with 90.5 GWh of installations outside China, up 41.7%, while Gotion High-tech, SVOLT Energy Technology, and EVE Energy each more than doubled their volumes.news.metal

Regional Dynamics

Europe remained the largest non-China EV market, growing 29.0% to 2.528 million units, while Asia excluding China surged 75.8% to 933,000 units. North America was the only major region to contract, falling 20.5% to 681,000 units following the expiration of U.S. EV tax credits.sedaily

SNE Research noted that second-half market share shifts will depend on whether European growth continues, how long the North American incentive gap persists, and how quickly Chinese manufacturers accelerate localization across Asia.sedaily