BYD production snowballs as it celebrates rolling five millionth plug-in EV off the assembly line
While some EV automaker’s are working to deliver EV numbers in the tens of thousands, China’s Build Your Dreams (BYD) is on an entirely different level. The automotive manufacturing conglomerate is celebrating five million new energy vehicles (NEVs) built – a feat in it of itself, but an even greater tell to just how quickly BYD’s production lines are expanding.
Since its inception in 1995, BYD has quickly risen through the ranks as a major global manufacturer, excelling especially in electric vehicles and the battery technology. Including the commercial side of its new energy vehicles (BEVs and plug-in hybrids), BYD has a presence in 400 cities across more than 70 countries.
On the passenger side of EVs, we’ve seen BYD extent its footprint more recently to markets like Japan and Europe, delivering vehicles like the super popular ATTO 3. From a production standpoint, BYD builds NEVs beyond China, including plans for three new facilities in Brazil and a potential $1 billion plant in India that currently sits on shaky ground.
BYD describes itself as a “driving force in the industry” (not sure if pun was intended there but hope so), and it has the production clout to back it up. If you aren’t already aware of the BYD name, you soon will as the automaker continues to expand its lineup of brands, the EVs those marques offer, and the amount of assembly lines needed to keep up.
A better question is probably, can everyone else keep up?
BYD’s production ramp up outpaces… well, everyone
BYD Auto’s five millionth new energy vehicle to roll off its assembly lines in China was an N7 SUV from its Denza sub-brand (seen above). As it proclaims itself as the first global automaker to reach five million NEVs (BEVs and plug-in hybrids), BYD has a lot to celebrate – but a more impressive statistic is how quickly the manufacturer got here.
The company points out that it took 13 years to reach one million NEVs produced, but here’s where things get interesting. From there, it only took BYD Auto another 18 months to reach three million, then another 9 months from there to reach five million, helping garner over $1.86 million in sales last year.
Needless to say, BYD’s production lines are humming and showing no signs of slowing down. Per BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu:
Today marks a historic moment for BYD as we witness our 5 millionth new energy vehicle rolls off the production line. On this special occasion, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our customers across the globe for their trust in our products, our partners in the industry for this journey shared together, and every one of our employees whose hard work and dedication have made this landmark possible.
This year alone (through July), BYD says it has sold over 1.5 million, 92,469 of which came from markets outside of China like Europe for instance. While that’s a relatively small number compared to overall sales, it’s already more than double the company’s 2022 total – a sure sign that sales (and coinciding production levels) are on track to grow as BYD continues expanding to new territories.
Looking ahead, BYD looks to continue to invest big bucks in R&D and continue to expand its quest to become a household name around the globe. Per its release:
In the future, BYD, already taking the lead in the new energy revolution, will remain true to its aspiration of eco-friendliness and provide better mobility experiences to more customers around the world, accelerating the transition towards a greener future and contributing to its vision to Cool the Earth by 1°C.
Check out a video of the 5 millionth NEV celebration here:
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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