Warren Buffett-backed electric car maker BYD sold more than 440,000 vehicles in China in the first quarter this year, overtaking its German rival Volkswagen as the country's top-selling car brand, according to auto industry data.

Theme at Shanghai International Auto Show: Embracing New Era of Auto Industry, Heralding Shift to Electrification

BYD announced its March sales data recently. The company sold 207,080 cars in March this year, a year-on-year increase of 97.4%. This includes 206,089 passenger cars (including 13,312 cars for exports), up 97.5% from a year ago. Among the passenger cars it sold last month, 103,419 units were plug-in hybrid electric cars, while the rest being pure electric ones.