The Shenzhen-based carmaker accounted for 27 per cent, or 4,902, of the 18,356 private EVs that were registered in the first half, data from the city’s Transport Department showed this week.
BYD’s bestseller with 3,676 units was the Sealion 07, a pure electric, mid-size, five-seat SUV that went on sale at the end of 2024. Over the same time period, 3,889 Teslas were registered.
Geely-owned Zeekr, Toyota, and mainland EV maker Xpeng rounded out the top six in the first half. Together, the top six brands accounted for 66 per cent of all EV registrations, the data showed.
In 2024, 9,556 Teslas were newly registered, nearly doubling BYD’s EV sales tally, the government said. But mainland EV makers have become more ambitious in the city as they faced fierce competition at home and struggled with barriers to entering key overseas markets like the US and the European Union.
“Although foreign carmakers such as Tesla and BMW hold established brand advantages, Chinese EV brands like BYD and Geely are rapidly gaining favour among Hong Kong consumers, thanks to their advanced technologies, appealing features, and competitive pricing,” said David Zhang, secretary general of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, which has offices in Hong Kong and Guangdong province.
