More than 150,000 customers in China have already placed pre-orders for BYD’s new flagship SUV, the Great Tang — a record for any single model from the automaker. Yet on the very day that milestone was announced, the company’s shares tumbled to a fresh 52-week low, underscoring the deep disconnect between BYD’s operational momentum and its battered stock.
The full-size SUV, stretching over five metres, delivers up to 950 kilometres of range and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. A new battery technology slashes charging times dramatically. In China, pricing starts at the equivalent of roughly $35,500. BYD has had to postpone the market launch twice to secure enough production capacity, a sign of just how strong demand has been.
But while the SUV is turning heads, BYD is simultaneously undertaking one of the most sweeping internal restructurings in its history. CEO Wang Chuanfu is dismantling the company’s long-standing vertical integration model. Sub-brands such as Dynasty, Ocean, Denza and Fangchengbao will now operate as independent profit centres, each with its own profit-and-loss statement. They will draw on central resources only when needed and settle internally. The ultra-premium Yangwang brand has been temporarily exempted from these requirements.
In parallel, BYD is breaking up its central engineering institute into five brand-specific research units. Only the development of core technology platforms will remain in the original division. The shift is a deliberate move away from an engineer-driven culture toward market-oriented thinking — a recognition that roughly 80 per cent of sales today come from vehicles priced under 200,000 yuan, while the high-end segment remains weak.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying BYD?
The company is also pressing ahead with an ambitious international push. Europe is a prime target: BYD plans to have 6,000 fast-charging stations globally by the end of 2026, half of them on the continent. Some locations in Germany and France are already live. In Brazil, BYD is investing about $1.08 billion in the former Ford plant at Camaçari, where battery production has now started; localisation rates for vehicles assembled there are expected to hit 50 per cent by early 2027. In South Korea, BYD opened its 34th showroom on 22 June in Namyangju, near Seoul, targeting young families in the capital region.
Even humanoid robots are on the agenda. Vice‑president Stella Li confirmed that the company’s “Yao Shun Yu” robot project, launched in 2022, is being developed as an open platform. BYD intends to deploy the robots first in its own factories and showrooms, and eventually as sales assistants in international dealerships.
Yet none of this is resonating with investors. BYD shares fell 2 per cent on the day to close at €8.72, after hitting an intraday low of €8.60 — a new 52-week trough. The stock has shed nearly 38 per cent over the past twelve months, and its distance from the 200-day moving line continues to widen. The relative strength index, at 23.5, signals extreme oversold conditions. For a company targeting sales of more than five million vehicles in 2026 — with 1.5 million of those coming from overseas — the market’s punishment seems at odds with the underlying business trajectory. The Great Tang’s bulging order book should help absorb fixed costs during the global expansion. Whether it can also revive sentiment on the stock remains a different question entirely.
Ad
BYD Stock: Buy or Sell?! New BYD Analysis from June 22 delivers the answer:
The latest BYD figures speak for themselves: Urgent action needed for BYD investors. Is it worth buying or should you sell? Find out what to do now in the current free analysis from June 22.
BYD: Buy or sell? Read more here...
