Up to 5000 BYDs land in Australia via new ship as company commits to short wait time for 2026 BYD Sealion 6, Shark 6 and more

The first arrival of a BYD-owned shipping vessel to Australia has caused a stir as the brand’s top brass is confident troubles with supply in its home nation won’t affect Australian demand.

The BYD Zhengzhou docked at the Port of Melbourne carrying 4809 BYD vehicles destined for Australian customers, part of a promise to deliver 30,000 new cars in the second quarter of 2026.

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But on the morning media were given a tour of the BYD Zhengzhou in what could arguably be called a fanfare event, Toyota Australia announced it “has secured an additional 10,000 vehicles for local customers in 2026”.

Toyota sold 59,675 cars in Q1 to BYD’s 25,243. BYD also remains behind Mazda, Kia, and Ford.

The timing suggests Toyota wanted to remind Australian buyers who is number one in the sales race, but BYD’s commitment to meeting demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is clear, and the brand’s top brass didn’t hesitate to say as such.

Liu Xueliang, Group Vice President of BYD and General Manager of BYD Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Division, told Australian media during a conference in Port Melbourne that despite battery supply challenges in the brand’s home market, BYD would meet demand in Australia.

Via interpreter, Mr Liu told CarsGuide that even at home in an EV-saturated market, BYD’s outlook is optimistic.

“Sales in China have begun to recover in Q2, we achieved 380,000 units sold in May just past. 

“Growth has tightened a bit, but that does not affect supply to markets including Australia.

“This is just one of our ships, but we’ve got many other [non-BYD-owned] ships that are arriving in Australia.”

While Mr Liu wouldn’t be drawn on Toyota’s announcement, the theme that returned many times during the conference was BYD’s ownership of its own supply chain, and the control that grants.

Given Australia’s demand for plug-in hybrids and EVs in 2026 is higher than it has been by huge margins, Liu Xueliang said this wouldn’t be the first time a BYD-owned ship would be seen in an Australian port.