Chinese carmaker BYD surpassed US.-.based Ford Motor Co in global vehicle sales last year for the first time. A Chinese expert said that the development is not surprising amid Chinese carmakers' steady rise in the global market. Ford reported that its global sales slipped nearly 2% to just under 4.4 million units. BYD said in January that it sold about 4.6 million vehicles in 2025. The shift pushed BYD up to sixth place in the global sales ranking, edging ahead of Ford in the worldwide standings. While Ford's U.S. sales rose last year, it lost ground in Europe and particularly China, where domestic manufacturers including BYD, Xiaomi and Geely have gained market share from foreign automakers with affordable, technology-laden electric vehicles (EVs). BYD said in a statement that the company's full-year NEV sales in 2025 reached 4.602 million units, further solidifying its position as the world's largest NEV manufacturer. In 2025, BYD achieved a breakthrough in overseas sales, surpassing 1 million units for the first time.
Represented by BYD, Chinese automobile brands are leveraging their systematic advantages in electrification, intelligence, product matrix, and supply chain management to play an increasingly important role in the global market, while continuously driving the worldwide automotive industry's transition toward NEVs, the company said in a statement.
Commenting on BYD surpassing Ford for the first time, Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), said that it is not surprising, as “Chinese EVs are steadily gaining a foothold in the global auto market, thanks to their growing competitiveness in technology, cost effectiveness, and market appeal.” “NEVs are experiencing rapid growth, while the traditional internal combustion engine vehicle market continues to shrink,” Zhang Xiang, Secretary General of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, said. According to Nikkei Asia, Ford Motor President and CEO Jim Farley sounded the alarm on the impact of Chinese automakers on established players worldwide, calling China's auto industry a “wild card” that all carmakers must now contend with. Ford reported a full-year net loss of USD8.18 billion, as it recognized USD15.9 billion in extraordinary losses related to the cancelation of EV programs.
“Chinese NEV products are a vital contribution to global green development,” Zhang said, noting that China provides affordable and high-quality products to fulfill global green needs, allowing consumers around the world to buy NEVs at lower costs and promoting widespread adoption. Meanwhile, by leveraging its supply chain strengths and international collaboration, China shares products, technologies, and manufacturing capacity with other nations, collectively speeding up the global green and low-carbon transformation, he noted, as reported by the Global Times.
