BYD NZ reports sales surge as fuel prices climb and brand earns Consumer NZ recognition

BYD NZ has reported a sudden strong demand for electric vehicles with the brand stating it sold 80 vehicles on Saturday just gone.

According to the company, that equated to roughly one vehicle being sold every six minutes during normal dealership trading hours. For context, in February, BYD sold 831 vehicles in 28 days.

BYD has also been named the 2026 People’s Choice winner for Car Ownership by Consumer NZ, which the brand says recognises it as New Zealand’s most trusted automotive marque based on nationwide consumer research.

BYD New Zealand General Manager Warren Willmot said the spike in demand was being driven by a combination of rising fuel costs and a broader model range for 2026.

“Kiwis are clearly voting with their wallets,” says Willmot. “Higher petrol prices are pushing people to reconsider the cost of driving, and BYD’s five new models — ATTO 1, ATTO 2, Sealion 5, Sealion 8, and the Cab Chassis Shark — are giving customers more choice, more value, and more reasons to go electric.”

Consumer NZ recognition

The People’s Choice Award from Consumer NZ is based on independent research conducted every two years, surveying thousands of households across the country about their ownership experiences.

Brands receiving the accreditation must demonstrate strong results across several areas, including customer satisfaction, product reliability and consumer trust.

Consumer NZ reports its audience includes more than 179,000 members and supporters and around 3.3 million annual website users, with the organisation’s brand recognition sitting at about 72 percent nationwide.

BYD says the award reflects the brand’s growing reputation among local customers as its electric vehicle presence continues to expand.

Stock tightening as demand rises

Following the strong weekend sales performance, BYD New Zealand says all vehicles currently in the country or arriving during March have now been allocated across its dealer network.

While cars remain available for delivery, some colours and specifications are already sold out for the next one to two months.

Read more – 2026 BYD Atto 1 Premium Review

“We expected strong interest, but this level of demand has exceeded even our most optimistic forecasts,” Willmot says. “If you’re thinking about going electric and saving on fuel, now really is the time — stock is still available, but it’s moving quickly.”

To keep up with demand, the brand has confirmed it will increase the size of its next shipment, scheduled to arrive in June.

More BYD models on the way

BYD is also preparing to expand its local lineup further in the coming months, with three additional vehicles planned for introduction.

These include the BYD Shark 6, a 2.0-litre “super-hybrid” ute with a claimed 3.5-tonne towing capacity, the BYD Seal 06 wagon aimed at family and fleet buyers, and the BYD ATTO 2 Super Hybrid.

Globally, BYD is one of the largest producers of new-energy vehicles, and in New Zealand the company also supplies a significant number of plug-in vehicles to government fleets as part of the country’s broader move toward lower-emissions transport.