Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, ?on ?Tuesday said he expected the ?Chinese firm to become the world's largest automaker within five years, as ?he sought to reassure investors following a steep decline in the company's share price.

BYD, which ranked ?sixth globally in 2025 with 4.6 ?million vehicles sold, has struggled to restore growth after its domestic sales were hit by ?intensified competition ?with local peers over the past year. Shares of the company have ?dropped more than 45% from their peak in Hong Kong over the past year, while its Shenzhen-listed stock has fallen 33%.

Speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting at its Shenzhen headquarters, Wang addressed nearly ?1,000 shareholders, emphasizing a focus on ramping up the output of its second-generation Blade ?Battery, which ?he identified as this ?year's key ?growth bottleneck, according to the state-owned Shanghai Securities News. The report was confirmed by an ?attendee at the meeting.