BYD says Australian shoppers will decide when it topples long-time gross sales chief Toyota, following a gross sales surge that noticed it place second general for the second consecutive month in Might 2026.
Toyota Australia nonetheless delivered 76,017 new automobiles within the first 5 months of 2026, comfortably forward of BYD’s 33,454 items.
Nonetheless, BYD’s fast development has seen its gross sales greater than double from 15,199 on the similar level final 12 months, whereas Toyota’s tally has fallen from 100,753 because the hole between the 2 manufacturers continues to slender.
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BYD launched in Australia in 2022 beneath importer EVDirect, whose founder and govt director Luke Todd made daring predictions about how rapidly the Chinese language model may problem Toyota for market management.
“I am on file as saying our goal is 2027,” Mr Todd informed CarExpert in early 2025 when requested when BYD anticipated to change into Australia’s number-one automotive model.
In mid-2025, BYD took over Australian distribution from EVDirect, which stays a supplier companion for the model.
Toyota has been Australia’s best-selling automotive model yearly since 2003, when it overtook Holden for the primary time. It additionally holds the file for the very best annual gross sales consequence, delivering 241,296 automobiles in 2024, and has seen its Corolla, HiLux and RAV4 high annual gross sales within the final decade.
Toyota’s market share was roughly 19.3 per cent in 2025. Its January-to-Might 2026 consequence retains it on high, although its market share has fallen from 20.3 per cent to fifteen.5 per cent year-on-year.
BYD’s market share has elevated from 3.1 per cent in Might 2025 to eight.2 per cent in Might 2026, with the Sealion 7 SUV its hottest mannequin forward of the Shark 6 ute. Yr-to-date, its market share is sitting at 6.8 per cent.
Talking to media, together with CarExpert, at an occasion marking the arrival of just about 5000 BYD automobiles in Melbourne yesterday, BYD vice chairman Liu Xueliang was extra measured when requested when the Chinese language model may overtake Toyota.
“Toyota remains to be a wonderful firm,” mentioned Mr Liu.
“We proceed studying whereas working exhausting ourselves. Whether or not we will surpass Toyota in Australia in the end will depend on Australian shoppers.”
Toyota Australia issued a press launch yesterday that appeared geared toward including context to the arrival of the BYD Zhengzhou – one of many automaker’s personal car service ships – which delivered nearly 5000 of the 30,000 automobiles BYD plans to carry to Australia by the tip of June.
Toyota’s assertion mentioned it had secured a further 10,000 automobiles for Australia and remained on monitor to ship 220,000 automobiles in 2026.
BYD mentioned in April it deliberate to ship 30,000 automobiles to Australia in response to elevated demand, significantly for its electrical automobiles (EVs).
April gross sales figures appeared to help that declare, with BYD posting a file 7702 deliveries to complete second general for the primary time.
The corporate backed that up in Might, recording 8211 gross sales to retain second place behind Toyota, which delivered 16,342 automobiles.
