Although BYD was already the best-selling brand in China, it reached an even more significant milestone last month. After overtaking SAIC, BYD is now China’s largest auto group.
BYD tops SAIC to become China’s largest auto group
After sales surged by 62%, with over 3 million vehicles sold last year, BYD officially became China’s best-selling brand.
Last month, BYD hit an even more significant milestone. BYD is now China’s largest auto group after topping SAIC in September sales. The milestone is significant, given that SAIC has joint ventures with leading global automakers, including Volkswagen GM.
BYD Group sold a record 419,426 vehicles last month, a 45% increase from September 2023. The numbers include BYD’s Denza, Fang Cheng Bao, and Yangwang subbrands.
September was BYD’s fourth consecutive record-breaking sales month. Despite an influx of new competition and an intensifying price war in China, BYD is still taking market share.
BYD’s cheapest electric car, the Seagull, was the best-selling EV in China in August, with 40,949 models sold. In September, BYD sold another 43,425 Seagull models.
BYD Seagull EV (Source: BYD)
The BYD Seagull starts at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in China and is already stealing market share overseas.
Meanwhile, SAIC is struggling to keep pace. Its joint venture with GM, SAIC-GM-Wuling, is a big reason as sales collapsed 35% in September, with 313,260 units sold.
BYD’s wide-reaching portfolio (Source: BYD)
Through September, SAIC has sold 2,649,333 vehicles (-21.5% YOY) in China, falling behind BYD, which has 2,747,875 vehicle sales (+32% YOY). BYD’s production numbers through September are also now outpacing SAIC’s.
Electrek’s Take
BYD continues to expand in China despite its increasingly competitive market. With low-cost EVs like the Seagull, Dolphin, and Yuan Plus, BYD is leading the market.
Although BYD is best known for its affordable vehicles, the automaker is rapidly expanding its lineup with new pickup trucks, luxury SUVs, and electric supercars.
BYD is also looking overseas to drive future growth. The company is already a leading EV brand in key auto regions like Southeast Asia and Latin America. With new plants planned in Hungary, Pakistan, Mexico, and Turkey, BYD is laying the groundwork to continue its dominant expansion.
After selling more vehicles than Honda and Nissan for the first time in Q2, BYD became the seventh-largest automaker globally. Will it continue to climb the global auto ranks? With new tech and batteries driving down costs, BYD is poised for a run.
Now, a new group of investors from Singapore has stepped in to take over.
The news was shared on Energica’s YouTube channel, and the company confirmed on LinkedIn that “The judicial process undergoing the sale of Energica has received an offer with a significant deposit from investors based in Singapore.” Energica says that the investors, who so far remain unnamed, “are enthusiasts that believe in, and share the common values of Energica.”
While it’s not certain how the buyout and revival will unfold, it appears that Energica is planning on getting the band back together. “If the process comes through successfully,” the company explained, “the same team behind Energica will be entrusted to run the operations, and we will continue creating cutting-edge technologies for our customers.”
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With many of Energica’s impressive electric motorcycles already in circulation from years of sales leading up to the 2024 bankruptcy, the company seems focused on starting by supporting those riders. ” Our first order of business is to support the customers and community. The judicial process will be completed in 60 days, and we will continue to share updates during the time.”
Energica rose to fame by building high-performance electric motorcycles in Modena, Italy, and was one of the early pioneers in the premium electric two-wheeler space. Its lineup includes models like the Experia electric touring bike and the Ego sportbike. The company previously supplied race bikes for the MotoE World Cup until Ducati took over the role in 2023.
After being acquired by US-based Ideanomics in 2021, Energica initially benefited from an injection of capital that helped expand production and dealer networks. But Ideanomics itself has faced serious financial trouble, becoming unable to invest in the future of Energica.
Energica’s future prospects seemed dim at the time of its insolvency in 2024, but the uncertainty appears to be clearing with the hope that new owners can breathe fresh life into the company.
Even so, Energica’s core competency is building the fastest, most powerful, and longest range production electric motorcycles the world has ever seen, and that’s not exactly an inexpensive enterprise. Combined with current market trends that favor smaller, lighter, and less expensive commuter-spec electric motorcycles, it begs the question of whether or not a newly revived Energica will find a receptive market, or whether the company will be forced to expand the scope of its products to match better the type of electric motorcycles that are selling today.
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Chinese carmaker XPeng is getting perilously close to bringing its AeroHT consumer eVTOL concept to market, thanks to a $250 million Series B round that’s set to accelerate the company’s modular “flying car” production plans.
XPeng subsidiary AeroHT had its first successful proof of concept test flight ahead of the brand’s annual 1024 back in 2023, where the company unveiled a pair of flying car designs. The X3 is an actual flying “car” that can drive, park, and take off on its own, and a second, modular eVTOL that folds up into the back of an electric van called the Land Aircraft Carrier.
That vehicle pair, shown at CES in January, was set to begin production this year, with the eVTOL component set to begin production in 2026 – and that’s looking a lot more likely thanks to the new infusion of capital!
AeroHT at CES 2025
Xpeng Aeroht raised $150 million in Series B1 funding last August, before launching its Series B2 funding round. The most recent announcement that the company has secured an additional $100 million in its Series B2 funding round brings the total amount raised to more than $750 million, with a $1B pre-revenue valuation.
Scooter Doll said it best, writing, “this footage (of the AeroHT test flight) is as scary and concerning as it is exciting and awe-inspiring.” Which is to say that these things are real, they seem like they’re getting built, and they seem like they’ll sell well enough to convince at least one or two remaining boomers that the flying car they’ve been promised their whole lives is – finally! – coming to market.
Here’s hoping.
SOURCE: Xpeng, via CNEVPost; gallery photos by the author.
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Flooring manufacturer Beauflor USA just turned on the biggest rooftop solar system by capacity in metro Atlanta — and it’s now powering part of its Georgia factory.
The new 1,040 kW system in Cartersville officially beats metro Atlanta’s previous rooftop solar record of 1,034 kW. The new array produces enough energy to power more than 100 homes. The system is expected to cover about 10% of Beauflor’s electricity needs and cut its carbon emissions by about 920 metric tons annually.
“This solar installation represents our commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices while making sound business decisions,” said Emile Coopman, continuous improvement manager at Beauflor. He added that the system is designed with room to grow: “This is the first step toward more renewable energy.”
The company partnered with Cherry Street Energy to install the nearly 2,000-panel system, which was completed in less than four months. Cherry Street invested $1.8 million into the project and is covering all construction and maintenance costs through a 30-year energy procurement agreement. Beauflor will buy solar power directly from Cherry Street, allowing it to avoid upfront capital costs while still lowering its energy bills.
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“As Georgia’s manufacturers ramp up production amid rising costs for grid energy, sophisticated operators seek ways to quickly and sustainably address their energy needs,” said Cherry Street CEO Michael Chanin. “On-site solar with no capital expense delivers just that: reliable, affordable electricity.”
Chanin added that the system’s power output is especially impressive: “The previous record-holder for metro Atlanta’s largest rooftop solar required over 4,000 panels. We’re using less than 2,000 to reliably generate even more power.”
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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