China’s premier electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, is confronting significant headwinds in its home market. The company’s latest sales figures have triggered a sharp sell-off in its stock, highlighting the intense competitive and regulatory pressures it now faces. In response, the automaker is aggressively pushing forward with its international expansion plans, particularly in South America.
January Sales Plunge Triggers Market Reaction
BYD reported delivering 205,518 vehicles in January, a figure that represents a steep 30% decline and marks its weakest January performance since 2020. This substantial drop was met with immediate pessimism from investors. On February 2, the company’s Hong Kong-listed shares suffered their most significant single-day loss since May 2025, closing down 6.9%. The selling pressure extended to the Shenzhen exchange and spilled over to sector peers, including Xiaomi and Xpeng, which also saw their shares decline.
A key factor behind the demand slowdown is a pivotal shift in Chinese policy. As of January 1, 2026, a 5% purchase tax has been reinstated on New Energy Vehicles, ending over a decade of tax exemption. This change is widely seen as dampening consumer appetite.
Competitors Seize Market Share Amid BYD’s Weakness
The market leader’s stumble has provided a clear opening for rivals. Geely surpassed BYD in January, selling more than 270,000 vehicles during the month. Other players, such as the Huawei-backed Aito, also reported robust growth. Analysts at Macquarie Capital have interpreted BYD’s sharp sales contraction as an unexpected warning sign that the company is ceding market share.
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The sales breakdown reveals further challenges. Deliveries of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) alone fell to their lowest level since February 2024, indicating particular softness in the fully electric segment.
International Expansion Offers a Counterbalance
Facing stagnation domestically, BYD is accelerating its global strategy. A notable bright spot in the January report was a more than 43% year-over-year surge in exports, which accounted for nearly half of all deliveries for the month.
Central to this international push is a major investment in Brazil. The company is constructing a factory on a former Ford site in the state of Bahia. The Camacari facility is slated for a gradual expansion to an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. BYD plans to locally source and manufacture approximately 50% of vehicle components there by the end of 2026. The initial phase of this project involves an investment of $1.1 billion.
For the full 2026 fiscal year, BYD’s management has set an ambitious export target of 1.3 million vehicles. Whether this aggressive overseas growth can fully offset the structural slowdown in the Chinese market remains a critical question for investors, with future quarterly reports expected to provide the answer.
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