BYD has grown its workforce to more than 1.02 million employees, surpassing the combined headcount of Toyota, General Motors, Ford and Tesla.
According to BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu, the company now employs approximately 170,000 more people than the four automakers combined. Their reported workforces total around 851,000 employees.
BYD’s workforce has expanded from approximately 869,600 employees at the end of 2025. Around 960,000 employees are based in China, while another 60,000 work overseas.
Research and development also accounts for a significant portion of its workforce. BYD employs approximately 120,000 R&D personnel working on batteries, electric motors, electronic controls and semiconductors.
The company’s large workforce reflects its vertically integrated business model. BYD manufactures many of its own components instead of relying entirely on external suppliers. These include batteries, electric motors and semiconductors.
Its operations also extend beyond passenger vehicles. The company has businesses involving electronics manufacturing, energy storage and rail transit. This means its total employee count covers a wider range of activities than vehicle manufacturing alone.
However, the workforce expansion comes amid mixed sales performance. BYD sold 3,131,576 new-energy vehicles between January and September 2026, representing a 3.9% year-on-year decline.
Overseas sales reached 1,342,960 vehicles during the same period. This marked a 92.7% increase compared with the previous year. Overseas deliveries accounted for approximately 42.9% of BYD’s total sales.
Despite this international growth, approximately 94% of its employees remain based in China.
BYD’s employee count highlights the scale of its manufacturing, research and wider business operations. However, comparing total headcounts across automakers does not directly measure production efficiency.
The company’s growing overseas sales and large domestic workforce also reflect two different aspects of its expansion. Its international business is growing, while most of its employees remain concentrated in its home market.
