The global energy crisis has helped propel BYD back into pole position in China’s automotive sector, allowing it to regain ground on Geely Auto as demand for battery-powered vehicles accelerates worldwide.

The Shenzhen-based electric vehicle (EV) maker, which lost its title as mainland China’s largest carmaker in the first quarter of 2026, rebounded strongly in the following two months as the US-Israel war with Iran drove up oil prices. Its overseas deliveries surged 76 per cent year on year to nearly 300,000 units during the period.

The recovery has reinforced founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu’s ambition to build BYD into the world’s largest carmaker by 2030, backed by advances in next-generation batteries and autonomous-driving technology.

According to company data, BYD delivered 1.41 million vehicles globally between January and May, 19 per cent more than Geely’s 1.18 million units.

Geely, which sells petrol and electric vehicles under brands including Zeekr, Lynk and Galaxy, had edged ahead in the first quarter, delivering 709,538 vehicles compared with BYD’s 700,463.

“Rising EV adoption across the globe in April and May tipped the balance in favour of BYD, despite a lacklustre domestic market,” said Phate Zhang, founder of Shanghai-based data provider CnEVPost. “Brisk sales outside China turned out to be the major growth driver for the EV maker.”