Brazil reaches a historic moment as electric vehicles top the retail sales chart for the first time. In February this year, the Chinese brand BYD's Dolphin Mini model secured the top spot in sales through Brazilian dealerships (excluding direct sales to clients like rental companies).

According to data provided by BYD, the model had a registration volume of 4,100 units in February, awaiting official data release from the Brazilian Car Dealers Association (Fenabrave). The Dolphin Mini surpassed the usual leaders in retail sales charts, such as Volkswagen's Tera, Hyundai's Creta, and Fiat's Strada pickup truck.

Considering direct sales orders to corporate fleets and those enjoying discounts, as per rankings released by the consulting firm K.Lume, the top five models in sales last month were Fiat Strada, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Mobi, Fiat Argo, and Chevrolet Onix, with the Dolphin Mini ranking 11th.

In terms of overall brand rankings (across all sales channels and models), BYD ranked fifth last month, following Fiat, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Hyundai. BYD aims to become the leading brand in Brazil's light passenger vehicle market by 2030.

BYD celebrated the Dolphin Mini's championship in sales through dealership channels, especially as this achievement occurred on the vehicle's two-year anniversary in the Brazilian market in February 2024. So far, the model has accumulated sales exceeding 62,000 units in Brazil, with a starting price of 119,990 Brazilian reais.

K.Lume forecasts that Chinese brands are expected to achieve a market share close to 20% in Brazil's passenger car new vehicle market this year. In February this year, this figure reached 16.3%, significantly higher than the 9.8% from the same period last year.

However, starting in July, the import tariffs for hybrid and electric vehicles will increase from the previous range of 25% to 30% to 35%, which could lead to consumers purchasing vehicles ahead of time, sparking a wave of car purchases.