BYD wants to build electric cars in Europe in the future. According to the Chinese automaker, this is to support the rapid market build-up on the continent.
As BYD manager Stella Li told Bloomberg, the car manufacturer is planning at least one passenger car plant in Europe.
Two BYD Europe plants
She quoted by saying, “Yes, and maybe not only one, it can be two,” The best location is being evaluated to back the company’s fast ramp-up.
Li didn’t give more details in the interview as most parts of the conversation were also around the BYD shares’ partial sales by Warren Buffett’s investment company, Berkshire Hathaway, as per Electrive.
Where the plant or plants might be constructed and what time frame is planned (for the investment decision and the construction) is unknown.
Aside from its European plants, BYD also wants to strengthen its export business. For the transition to European production, it isn’t clear whether all models sold in Europe would also be produced there immediately.
As Li confirmed, the company itself has purchased ships.
[Due to] The size of BYD, when we go to any shipping companies, their service cannot really 100% satisfy us.
BYD manager Stella Li
Three EV models in European countries
Initially, the company is launching three EV models in some European countries, following two more next year.
The brand stated local production would be a critical part of its plans to accelerate expansion into Europe, focused on electric vehicles. The automaker wants to sell six-figure sales of electric cars in Germany in 2026.
The European models would be based on different platforms. Of the three models, only the compact SUV Atto 3 is based on BYD’s electric car platform, e-platform 3.0 with 800 volts of system voltage.
The Han EV (large electric sedan) and Tang EV (electric SUV) are still based on a multi-energy platform.
Furthermore, the Seal mid-size sedan and possibly the Dolphin compact car would follow. Both would be based on the e-platform 3.0.
BYD sales tripled in the first 11 months of 2022
On the other hand, BYD has been growing both at home and abroad, with sales tripling to 1.63 million units in the first 11 months this year.
Vehicle assembly plants in Thailand
Earlier in 2022, the company announced plans to establish a vehicle assembly plant in Thailand while strengthening operations in Latin America and other countries.
