BYD says its own vehicle carriers will return to Australia after the BYD Zhengzhou docked in Melbourne with 4802 BYD and Denza vehicles on board.

Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific, Auto Sales Division, said the first local visit by a BYD-owned ship would “never be the last time”.

The shipment included models such as the BYD Sealion 7, BYD Atto 2, Denza B5 and Denza D9, giving the Chinese brand a direct supply-chain story as it expands across multiple Australian vehicle segments.

Asked whether BYD-owned vessels would come to Australia regularly, Liu said they would be “not that regular, but there will be occasions”.

Liu linked future shipments to local demand, saying BYD had a responsibility to fulfil customer needs.

The arrival comes as established brands move to shore up supply, including Toyota’s recently confirmed additional Australian vehicle allocation for 2026.

BYD’s 2026 sales momentum

BYD’s Australian sales growth has accelerated sharply through the first four months of 2026.

VFACTS data shows BYD recorded 25,243 sales year-to-date to April 2026, up from 11,974 over the same period in 2025.

That represents growth of 110.8 per cent, while BYD’s market share rose from 3.1 per cent to 6.7 per cent.

Toyota remains Australia’s top-selling brand, but its year-to-date sales were down 22.7 per cent to 59,675 vehicles over the same period.

CarSauce has also reported BYD’s rise in the monthly rankings, including when the brand climbed to second place in April.

BYD’s growth is now coming from several higher-volume segments rather than a single small-EV line.

The BYD Sealion 7 has recorded 6248 sales year-to-date, while the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute has reached 4851 sales.

The BYD Sealion 8 has recorded 2491 sales, the BYD Sealion 6 has reached 2292 sales, the BYD Atto 2 has recorded 2141 sales and the BYD Atto 3 has reached 1748 sales.

Those figures place BYD closer to key Toyota lines in several segments, with the 2026 Toyota RAV4 recording 7571 year-to-date sales and the 2026 Toyota HiLux 4X4 recording 11,486.

Toyota has also flagged more supply for the 2026 Toyota bZ4X as part of its wider 2026 allocation lift.

Liu said BYD would continue expanding its sales and aftersales network across Australia later this year.

He said one potential customer had recently driven about 200 kilometres to reach a BYD dealer, using the example to underline the need for more local coverage.

BYD also indicated the Dolphin G is not planned for Australia, with another Australia-specific model to be detailed later in the year.

For now, the key supply-chain message is simpler: BYD’s first company-owned ship visit to Australia is being treated as the start of a repeatable option, rather than a one-off delivery.