BYD reported passenger vehicle sales of 474,921 units in November, a 5.77% decline from 504,003 units a year earlier, marking the third consecutive month of year-over-year contraction for the Chinese electric vehicle giant.

For the first eleven months of 2025, BYD's cumulative passenger vehicle sales reached 4.13 million units, representing a 10.42% annual increase. December sales are expected to see month-over-month growth as buyers rush to secure purchases ahead of reduced new energy vehicle tax subsidies taking effect next year.

The company has reportedly lowered its 2025 sales target by 16% to 4.6 million vehicles from an initial goal of 5.5 million, according to sources familiar with internal discussions. Current performance appears to align with this adjusted forecast.

Rival Geely reported stronger momentum, with total vehicle sales of 310,428 units in November, up 24% year-over-year. Through November, Geely's cumulative sales reached 2.79 million units, a 42% annual increase. Its Geely Galaxy brand contributed 132,652 units, surging 76% from a year earlier.

BYD's Ocean and Dynasty series, which target the market below RMB 200,000 ($27,700), have underperformed. Through October, these lines saw deliveries decline 7.56% on a year-over-year basis. In the sub-RMB 100,000 segment, the two series dropped over 15%, with BYD's Seagull model falling to third place behind Geely's Xingyuan and Wuling Mini.

The company's autonomous driving push has not translated into proportional sales gains. BYD delivered 1.44 million vehicles equipped with standard Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) capabilities in the first three quarters of 2025, a 70-fold annual increase accounting for 40% of the market. However, urban NOA-equipped deliveries totaled just 158,500 units through October, averaging under 20,000 monthly.

BYD's rumored end-to-end self-developed urban autonomous driving system has yet to materialize publicly. Deepal Intelligence, a joint venture between BYD and Momenta, reported zero revenue in 2024 after generating approximately RMB 70 million in both 2022 and 2023.

Competitive pressure is mounting as Huawei's Qiankun intelligent driving system extends urban NOA features to vehicles priced at RMB 150,000, with highway NOA potentially reaching the RMB 100,000 price point.