Chinese industrial giant BYD has really taken the Henry Ford business model and run with it. Emulating the Model T formula from the early 20th century, this automaker offers a wide range of super-affordable vehicles, and BYD’s lowest-priced model, the all-electric Seagull hatchback, just hit an important production milestone.
1 Million Seagulls Have Taken Flight
As reported by CnEVPost.com, the 1 millionth Seagull has rolled off the assembly line, an undeniably impressive achievement. This is even more striking when you consider this car has only been on sale since April of 2023, meaning it took BYD scarcely more than two years to cross the 1-million mark.
A key to the Seagull’s showroom success is the low, low price. When the car launched, it was available for right around $10,300 in China, a remarkably affordable figure. In May, the automaker reportedly delivered a record 60,131 copies of the Seagull, enough to account for nearly 16 percent of BYD’s sales for the month.
Commemorating this auspicious sales occasion, crossing the 1-million-unit threshold, in Europe, the company just introduced a new model called the Dolphin Surf, a name that fits in nicely with the rest of BYD’s maritime-themed lineup, which includes other vehicles like the Dolphin, Sealion 7, and Seal.
Despite The Seagull’s Success, BYD Might Be In Trouble
The Seagull may be flying off the assembly line (Get it? A seagull is a bird!), 1 million sales is a huge milestone, but BYD may be facing some serious issues. Again, according to CnEVPost.com, the automaker has reportedly slowed production down in China, reducing shifts and delaying plans for new manufacturing lines.
According to sources, BYD has reduced its output by “at least a third of the capacity at some of its factories,” a massive reduction. Supposedly, the automaker has pulled back manufacturing at four plants – or maybe more.
Even though the Seagull is hugely popular, these strategic changes suggest BYD’s sales are slowing down. The average dealership inventory is supposedly more than three months, the highest of any brands operating in China. In the first four months of the year, inventory allegedly increased by about 150,000, suggesting the market is cooling off.
The company reportedly operates “at least seven car factories in China” and had planned to grow its 2025 sales to a whopping 5.5 million, a 30 percent increase. Last year, deliveries of BYD’s so-called new-energy vehicles, NEVs for short, hit nearly 4.3 million, a year-over-year increase of more than 41 percent.
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