From Battery Maker to EV Giant, BYD Prints 15 Million Vehicles in a Short Time

JAKARTA - BYD officially announced a major achievement after producing the 15 millionth new energy vehicle, which includes pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids. This milestone is in the spotlight because it was achieved in a very short time.

If the first million units took 13 years, the increase from 10 million to 15 million units only took 13 months. As reported by Arena EV, Monday, December 22, this achievement shows a surge in the ever-increasing demand for electric vehicles in the global market.

The model that marked the 15 millionth production was the Denza N8L, a large-sized plug-in hybrid SUV with six seats suitable for family needs. This car is produced at the Jinan facility, China, which has only been operating for three years. The Denza N8L is marketed starting at 36,400 euros.

BYD started out as a battery manufacturer in 1995 and only launched its first car in 2003. Their first electric vehicle, the F3DM, was released in 2008 when the EV market was still very limited.

The company's bold move came in 2022 when it stopped producing pure gasoline-powered cars and switched entirely to electric vehicles. Currently, BYD employs more than 900,000 people, including nearly 110,000 research and engineering personnel.

From January to November 2025, BYD recorded sales of 4,182,038 units, up 11.3 percent from the same period last year. Expansion into international markets also showed significant results.

In the first 11 months of this year, 917 thousand units were sold outside China. Now, BYD is present in more than 110 regions, including the production of the 14 millionth unit which was carried out in Brazil in October.

Innovation is the key to the brand's success. During the first three quarters of 2025, BYD poured 5.29 billion euros into research and development. The total research investment that the company has spent has reached more than 220 billion RMB.

The funds are focused on fast charging technology or Flash Charging and the improvement of automatic driving safety features. Europe is now the next big market for BYD.

Currently, their electric vehicles are available in 33 European countries with about 1,000 sales locations. The company plans to double the number of dealers by the end of 2026 and prepare for the launch of the Z9GT large-power model in 2026.