BYD Auto

BYD Auto Co., Ltd.
Native name
比亚迪汽车
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorXi'an Qinchuan Automobile Co., Ltd.
Founded2003; 21 years ago (2003)
FounderWang Chuanfu
Headquarters,
China
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsAutomobiles
Buses
Trucks
Production output
Increase 3,045,231 vehicles (2023)
RevenueIncrease CN¥324.7 billion
US$51.4 billion (2022)
Increase CN¥9.9 billion (2022)
ParentBYD Company (99%)
Subsidiaries
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese比亚迪汽车有限公司
Traditional Chinese比亞迪汽車有限公司
Hanyu PinyinBǐyàdí Qìchē Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī
Websitebydauto.com.cn (Chinese)
byd.com (English)
Footnotes / references

BYD Auto Co., Ltd. is the automotive subsidiary of BYD Company, a publicly listed Chinese multinational manufacturing company. It manufactures passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), collectively known as new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China. It also produces battery electric buses and trucks.

BYD Auto was founded in January 2003 by BYD owner Wang Chuanfu, following BYD's acquisition of Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile. The first car designed by BYD, the BYD F3, entered production in 2005. BYD started producing its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the BYD F3DM in 2008, followed by its first production battery electric vehicle, the BYD e6 in 2009. BYD ended production of purely internal combustion engined cars in March 2022 to focus on new energy vehicles. The company sells its vehicles under the main BYD brand, and high-end vehicles under its Denza, Yangwang and Fangchengbao brands.

Following a series of decline in sales and profit, BYD Auto has experienced substantial sales growth since 2020 due to the increasing market share of new energy vehicles in China. BYD became the top-selling battery electric vehicle manufacturer in the world after overtaking Tesla in the fourth quarter of 2023. BYD is also the best-selling car brand in China since the first quarter of 2023, overtaking Volkswagen which held the title since the liberalisation of the Chinese automotive industry. Since 2021, the company is expanding sales of passenger cars into overseas markets in Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania and South America.

The company is characterised by its extensive vertical integration, leveraging BYD group's expertise in producing batteries and other related components such as electric motors and electronic controls. All components in BYD vehicles except tires and windows are claimed to be produced in-house within the BYD group. The group operates lithium mines, lithium processing, battery production, and an in-house computer chip unit, ensuring control and flexibility in production cost and production volume. BYD's battery division, FinDreams Battery, is the world's third largest producer of electric vehicle batteries as of the first half of 2022. It specialises in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which is marketed as the Blade battery.

History

2003–2008: Early years

The BYD stand at the 2009 Central China High-Tech Fair in Shenzhen

BYD Company founder Wang Chuanfu founded BYD Auto in 2003 after acquiring and renaming a dwindling small automotive manufacturing company, Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile from state-owned defense company Norinco in January 2003 at HK$269 million for a 77 percent stake. He made the purchase just after raising HK$1.6 billion on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2002. The acquisition was met with disapproval from shareholders, as the plan was not disclosed in the prospectus. Originating from the battery manufacturing industry, Wang acquired Qinchuan with the vision of developing battery-powered electric vehicles. Qinchuan had been manufacturing cars since 1987, giving BYD access to car manufacturing technology and an automobile production license. At the time of the acquisition, Qinchuan's QCJ7181 Flyer was in production, which was rebranded to BYD Flyer from 2005. As the former Qinchuan manufacturing plant had limited capacity, BYD constructed a new manufacturing plant in the Xi'an Development Zone within the same province.

The first car developed by BYD, codenamed 316, was rejected by dealers due to its poor styling and was scrapped before reaching the market, writing off CN¥100 million of research and development expenses as a result. Wang Chuanfu personally smashed the prototype to destroy it. The first mass-produced passenger car from BYD, the BYD F3 compact sedan, entered production on April 16, 2005 with an affordable price tag of CN¥73,000 (approximately US$10,000). Bearing resemblance to the Toyota Corolla with a lower price, the F3 quickly gained popularity, becoming a successful model with over 63,000 units sold that year. The 100,000th unit rolled off the assembly line on June 18, 2007, just 20 months after production began. Following this success, the larger BYD F6 sedan entered production in August 2007, which was modelled after the Honda Accord.

In 2005, BYD Auto contributed 10 percent to BYD Company's revenue. By 2006, a little over a year since the F3 was launched, BYD Auto's contribution increased to 25 percent. In the first half of 2009, the automotive business for the first time made up more than half of BYD Company's revenue, reaching 55 percent. By 2008, BYD Auto owned two vehicle assembly manufacturing plants in Xi'an and in Shenzhen with a production capacity of 300,000 units per year, an R&D and testing center in Shanghai, and a moulding plant in Beijing.

During its early years, BYD achieved growth by reverse engineering competitor's products and supplier parts, and keeping strong control over costs. Both the F3 as well as the later added F0 are considered copies of Toyota products. Initial BYD cars are equipped with Chinese-built Mitsubishi Motors older engines, but within a few years, BYD Auto created its own engines by improving Mitsubishi Motors designs.

In 2010, widespread withdrawal of BYD dealerships were reported in large Chinese cities due to excessively rapid expansions, limited model range, and internal competition that presented difficulties for dealers. It was exacerbated by BYD's focus on production capacity over quality. BYD responded by adjusting its annual production target from 800,000 to 600,000 vehicles, but fell short, reaching only 517,000 vehicles that year. In the subsequent three years, BYD shifted its attention to resolving concerns related to quality, dealership channels, and brand promotion.

2008–2020: New energy vehicle efforts

At the 2006 Beijing Auto Show, BYD showcased the battery electric version of the F3, the BYD F3e. The car had an all-electric range of more than 300 km (186 mi), and was planned to be produced within 3 years from 2007. In December 2010, BYD Auto deputy general manager Wang Jianjun confirmed that the company had canceled plans for its production due to the lack of support in charging infrastructure.

The 2008 BYD F3DM, a conversion of the F3, marked the first modern, mass produced plug-in hybrid vehicle globally.

In 2008, a plug-in hybrid electric version of the BYD F3, the F3DM, was introduced as the world's first production model plug-in hybrid car.

In 2009, BYD started producing battery electric buses as part of a pilot scheme initiated by the Chinese government. It signed a deal to supply 1,000 BYD K9 electric buses to the Hunan Government in China. The buses have a range of 305 km (190 mi) per charge with a top speed of 70 km/h (43 mph), charging time of six hours and 50 percent fast charging in 30 minutes.

In 2010, BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. and Daimler AG, now known as Mercedes-Benz Group AG, formed a 50-50 joint venture named Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology with a brand named Denza to focus on research and development of new energy vehicles. The brand showcased the Denza EV concept at Auto China in April 2012. This joint venture was restructured in 2021.

BYD established the Dynasty Series product line in August 2013 by introducing the plug-in hybrid electric variant of the petrol-engined BYD Surui, the BYD Qin. The Qin replaced the BYD F3DM, and became the best-selling plug-in electric vehicle of early 2014.

In November 2016, the company hired Wolfgang Egger as BYD Auto's head of design, who built his career at Alfa Romeo, Audi, and SEAT. His first creation at BYD was the Dynasty concept, a concept electric SUV that was displayed at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show that previews the design of the second-generation BYD Tang.

During the period before 2020, BYD relied on government subsidies to create profit in selling plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. For instance, throughout 2016 the company recouped about US$1 billion in new energy vehicle subsidies toward many of the nearly 100,000 new energy vehicles it sold, more than its 5.1 billion RMB (US$750 million) net profit for that year. It is also equivalent to a little over a fifth of BYD's US$5 billion in revenues from new energy vehicle sales that year. Between 2017 and 2019, BYD was negatively impacted by a reduction of subsidies granted by the Chinese government. Consequently, the company experienced sales slowdown in that period with net profit falling sharply for three consecutive years, especially in 2019, when its parent company net profit was only CN¥1.6 billion. According to Wang Chuanfu, at that time the company had only one goal, which was to survive.

2020–present: Rapid growth

The Atto 3 helped increase the sales of BYDs globally; it is one of the best selling electric cars in Australia.

BYD experienced a substantial surge in vehicle sales from 2020 to 2023. The company sold 3,024,417 vehicles globally in 2023, a seven-fold increase compared to the 2020 figure of 427,302 vehicles. The increase was partly due to the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles in China, which accounted for 27.5 percent of vehicle sales in China in 2022, increasing from 5.8 percent in 2020. BYD surpassed Tesla as the world's largest plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer by selling 641,000 vehicles in the first half of 2022. BYD ended the production of pure internal combustion engine vehicles in March 2022, redirecting its focus towards new energy vehicles. In September 2022, BYD became the first carmaker in China to build one million new energy vehicles in a single year. On November 24, 2023, BYD became the first company in the world to produce its 6 millionth new energy vehicle.

By 2023, BYD continued to be the world's largest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufacturer and the second-largest battery electric vehicle manufacturer, following Tesla, with global market shares of 21.4 percent and 15 percent, respectively. BYD also holds a substantial 36 percent market share in the new energy vehicle segment in China as of September 2023.

The Han, as of 2024, serves as BYD's upscale full-size car.

BYD introduced its first vehicle equipped with the Blade battery, the BYD Han large sedan in early 2020. The Han went on sale in July 2020 with an option of plug-in hybrid electric (Han DM) and battery electric (Han EV) variants. The most equipped variant of the battery electric variant was claimed to be the fastest electric car in China, while the DM version was the fastest hybrid sedan.

BYD announced its entry to Europe in May 2020, starting with Norway. The first batch of 100 BYD Tang EVs equipped with the Blade battery were sent to Norway in June 2021.

In April 2021, BYD introduced the e-Platform 3.0, a third-generation platform for battery electric vehicles that integrated and standardised core components along with a new body structure, new electrical architecture and operating system. The platform is produced starting with the BYD Dolphin and the BYD Yuan Plus that are announced in August 2021. It also established the Ocean Series line of products, which consists of models named after marine animals.

In December 2021, Daimler AG reduced its stake in its joint venture brand with BYD Auto from 50 percent to 10 percent, with BYD Auto controlling 90 percent. BYD refreshed Denza's line-up with the release of the Denza D9 minivan in 2022, followed by the Denza N7 SUV in 2023. In January 2023, BYD established its second premium brand called Yangwang by introducing the Yangwang U8 plug-in hybrid electric large SUV, and the Yangwang U9 battery electric supercar. The company further expanded its brand portofolio by introducing the Fangchengbao brand in June 2023, which focuses on off-road vehicles.

2023 BYD Seagull

BYD released its smallest and cheapest battery electric vehicle called the Seagull in April 2023. It features a 4-seater, 5-door configuration in a hatchback body style, while being priced in a segment dominated by smaller 3-door cars. The car became a sales success in China, in 29 November 2023, BYD produced the 200,000th Seagull after only seven months in the market.

While celebrating BYD's 5,000,000th new energy vehicle production in August 2023, Wang Chuanfu calls on local Chinese car manufacturers to "unite" to take on foreign manufacturers, responding to the severe price war in the Chinese market throughout 2023. Wang claims that it is "an emotional need for the 1.4 billion Chinese people to see a Chinese brand becoming global," and started a campaign titled "Together, we are Chinese autos". The patriotic call was welcomed by the CEOs of Nio and Li Auto.

On January 9, 2024, BYD's first roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, named "BYD Explorer No.1", was delivered and left the construction base in Longkou, Shandong province. the 200 m (660 ft)-long ship arrived at Yantai Port on the same day, before heading to Shenzhen for loading cars for exporting to Europe. According to China International Marine Containers (CIMC), the ship was built by Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard for the international ship management company Zodiac Maritime, and was leased to BYD as the first of its "sea shipping fleet", with a loading capacity of 7,000 vehicles.

Identity

BYD Auto's original logo was used between 2003 and 2007. According to the company, the blue and white colours represent the sky and the clouds respectively. The logo was criticised due to its resemblance to the BMW roundel. It was replaced with the logo used by its parent company with the introduction of the BYD F1 (renamed to F0 later).

On 1 January 2021, BYD Auto adopted a new brand logo design. Other BYD businesses retained the older logo.

On 17 February 2022, the logo of BYD Auto was slightly revised with a narrower width to follow graphic design trends, coinciding with the introduction of the new BYD Company logo.

Since the release of the second-generation BYD Tang, BYD Auto started adopting the "Build Your Dreams" identity for the rear badging for its vehicles, replacing the standard oval BYD logo. The badging was retained for export markets until late August 2023, when the company announced that for export markets the badging will be dropped in favour of the three-letter BYD logo due to criticisms.

Global expansion

In 2009, BYD started exporting cars to Africa, South America, and the Middle East. At that time, BYD cars competed on price instead of quality. Since 2021, BYD started expanding its global presence rapidly by prioritizing exports of passenger electric vehicle. Beginning in 2022, BYD has committed to producing right-hand drive versions of several battery electric passenger models for exports to LHT countries such as Australia, the UK and Thailand. These include newer models with BYD's third-generation platform (e-Platform 3.0) such as the Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal. For the Dolphin, the company had also done an extensive reengineering to ensure the small car would achieve maximum rating in Euro NCAP and Australasian NCAP testing.

Throughout 2023, the company exported over 242,766 passenger new energy vehicles, a year-over-year increase of 334 percent. As of 2023, BYD Auto vehicles are sold in over 70 countries around the world.

Europe

BYD booth at the IAA Summit 2023, Munich, Germany

In May 2020, BYD announced that it would offer passenger vehicles in Europe, starting with Norway. The company chose Norway due to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the country. The first products offered there is the BYD Tang. Prior BYD vehicles offered in Europe are mainly commercial vehicles and fleet-oriented vehicles such as the BYD e6, in low volumes.

In 2022, BYD Auto began selling its passenger vehicles in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium. In Germany and Sweden, the BYD models are sold in cooperation with the Hedin Group. In October 2022, BYD appointed Denzel Group as its distributor in Austria. In March 2023, BYD entered the United Kingdom market by introducing the Atto 3.

BYD will build its first European passenger car factory in Szeged, Hungary, which will build new energy vehicles with an annual capacity of over 100,000 vehicles. The plan was announced in December 2023. It is the first Chinese manufacturer to plan a European factory.

Australia

BYD entered the Australian market in 2022 through a partnership with EVDirect, a local distributor that is a subsidiary of ASX-listed company MotorCycle Holdings. Both companies signed an agreement in February 2021. The company showcased the first right-hand drive Atto 3 in August 2022. Its entry into the Australian market was delayed by a month to November 2022 due to compliance issues to the Atto 3, due to the top tether child restraint anchor point in the center rear seating position not in compliance with the Australian Design Rules. Despite the delay, the Atto 3 became the second-best-selling electric vehicle in Australia in 2022, behind only the Tesla Model 3. In 2023, BYD has sold 12,438 vehicles in Australia, making it the second-largest electric vehicle brand in the country.

Asia

Japan

BYD K9 bus in Morioka, Iwate, Japan

In 2015, the BYD became the first Chinese manufacturer in Japan to market electric buses. It supplied the K9 large electric bus to bus operator Princess Line [ja] in Kyoto. In 2022, BYD held 70 percent market share of electric buses in Japan.

In July 2022, BYD announced sales of its electric passenger vehicles in Japan will start in 2023. Sales of the Atto 3 in the country started in February 2023, with its first sales outlet located in Yokohama. BYD sells its vehicles in Japan through a dealership network instead of direct sales. The Dolphin was added to the local line-up in September 2023. All BYD models in Japan are adapted to local conditions by adopting CHAdeMO charging standard.

Southeast Asia

BYD booth at the 2023 Bangkok International Motor Show, Thailand

In October 2022, BYD started sales of passenger electric cars in Thailand in partnership with local company Rêver Automotive. In 2023, BYD announced plans to build a new electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Thailand. The plant, located in Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) special zone in Rayong, is expected to start production in 2024 and will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles.

BYD entered Malaysia in December 2022 by partnering with local company Sime Darby Motors as the distributor. The first model introduced was the Atto 3. In the Philippines, BYD partnered with Ayala Corp to distribute BYD passenger electric cars in the country since August 2023.

BYD introduced its passenger electric cars in Indonesia in January 2024. According to the Indonesian government, BYD plans to invest US$1.3 billion (Rp 20.3 trillion) to build a manufacturing plant in Indonesia with an annual capacity of 150,000 units.

India

BYD entered the Indian automotive sector in 2016 as a battery and bus chassis supplier to Olectra Greenwich Ltd. Its manufacturing operations are based in the Sriperumbudur plant. BYD started assembling electric passenger vehicles through a semi-knock down arrangement in low volume in 2022. The models assembled are the fleet-oriented e6 since September 2022 and the Atto 3 since November 2022.

In July 2023, investment plans to produce cars in India were cancelled due to scrutiny from the Indian government, noting "security concerns" despite 16-year presence of BYD Company in India. BYD Auto previously had planned to invest 1 billion USD with a local joint venture partner Megha Engineering, with start of production targeted in 2025.

Uzbekistan

BYD entered Uzbekistan in March 2023 by introducing two plug-in hybrid models and one battery electric model. The company established a joint venture with local company Uzavtosanoat JSC to assemble plug-in hybrid cars starting in 2024. The plant is located in Jizzakh and will produce the BYD Chazor and the BYD Song Plus DM-i.

North America

United States

BYD US headquarters in Los Angeles, California

BYD's North American headquarters opened in Los Angeles in 2011. BYD's electric bus plant in Lancaster, California went operational in 2014. BYD first supplied the Los Angeles Metro Bus system with buses in 2015.

In a February 2024 interview with Yahoo! Finance, Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD and CEO of BYD Americas iterated that BYD is "not planning to come to the US" to sell electric passenger cars, despite planning a manufacturing plant in Mexico, citing political resistance on Chinese companies and the slowing rate of growth for electric car adoption.

Mexico

BYD started selling electric passenger cars in Mexico since 2023. The first models introduced were the Han EV sedan, Tang EV and Yuan Plus EV. Previously the company has presence in the country selling battery electric buses, trucks and taxis. Reports in February 2024 indicated that BYD is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Mexico. According to Stella Li, the company is not considering any northern state as it targets the local market instead of the US market.

South America

BYD planned to deliver 1,002 electric buses to Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, by mid-2022, after winning a contract for 406 electric buses in January 2021.

In 2022, BYD began selling passenger vehicles in Colombia and Costa Rica.

Brazil

In February 2022, BYD Auto began sales of passenger vehicles in Brazil starting with the Tang EV (marketed as the Tan), followed by the Han EV in April 2022. Previously BYD in Brazil had marketed battery electric buses and commercial vehicles.

In July 2023, BYD announced an investment of US$600 million in Brazil to acquire, modernise, and increase the production capacity of a former Ford manufacturing plant in Camaçari, Bahia, to build up to 300,000 cars per year by 2025. The plant will produce the Dolphin, Yuan Plus, and Song Plus DM-i. BYD would also build two industrial plants: one for the production of electric bus/truck platforms and one for refining lithium and iron phosphate ores for use in BYD China's battery factories.

Products

BYD Auto offers a broad variety of vehicle types, including sedans, hatchbacks, MPVs, SUVs, battery electric buses and coaches in various sizes, and large trucks. The company formerly produced internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles until 2022, when the company announced that it would focus on new energy vehicles.

Passenger vehicles

Best-selling BYD models, 2023
Rank Model Global sales
1 BYD Qin Plus 455,863
2 BYD Song Plus / Seal U 427,071
3 BYD Yuan Plus / Atto 3 412,202
4 BYD Dolphin 367,419
5 BYD Seagull 280,217
6 BYD Han 228,383
7 BYD Song Pro 203,491
8 BYD Tang 137,184
9 BYD Seal & Seal DM-i 127,323
10 Denza D9 119,182

For passenger vehicles for personal use, the BYD brand distinguishes its line-up under two main "series", which are the Dynasty Series (started by the Qin in 2012), Ocean Series (started by the Dolphin in 2021). These series are offered through separate sales network, namely the Dynasty Network and the Ocean Network. Both series also uses separate mobile apps for telematics. Dynasty series vehicles focuses on high-end vehicles and adopts dragon-inspired designs, while Ocean Series vehicles targets younger customers by adopting the concept design of "Marine Aesthetics" by using waves and flowing lines as the main theme. The Ocean Series is further divided into two series, which are models with marine animal names and the Warship Series (Frigate and Destroyer) that are plug-in hybrid DM-i vehicles. Fleet-oriented vehicles for ride-hailing and taxi use are categorised in the "e" series.

Current powertrain options for passenger vehicles consist of battery electric often denoted by the EV suffix, DM-i (Dual Mode Intelligent, a plug-in hybrid electric system) and DM-p (performance-oriented Dual Mode with all-wheel drive).

Brands

Denza

Denza (Chinese: 腾势; pinyin: Téngshì) is a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz AG (previously Daimler AG) to produce luxury electric vehicles. It was created in May 2010. Its first model, the Denza 500 is based on an earlier generation of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. In 2021, Daimler reduced its share from 50 percent to 10 percent via equity transfer, leaving BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. as the biggest shareholder at 90 percent. The brand line-up was refreshed with the release of the Denza D9 minivan in 2022, followed by the Denza N7 SUV.

Yangwang

Yangwang (Chinese: 仰望; lit. 'gazing', 'look up') is BYD's luxury car brand that is positioned in a price range above CN¥1 million (approximately US$140,000) to compete with European luxury brands. The brand was announced on January 5, 2023 at the Guangzhou Auto Show, along with its first model, the U8 off-road plug-in hybrid SUV, which features BYD's proprietary e4 individual wheel drive technology, followed by the U9 battery electric supercar.

Fangchengbao

Fangchengbao (Chinese: 方程豹; lit. 'formula leopard'), trademarked in English as Formula Bao is BYD Auto's brand that produces SUVs. BYD positioned the brand with "professional" and "personalised" vehicles, with products covering off-road and track-focused segments. The brand was announced on June 9, 2023. The brand operates its own direct sales stores, in contrast with BYD that relies on a dealership network.

On August 16, 2023, Fangchengbao released its first model, the Bao 5 plug-in hybrid SUV. It debuted at the Chengdu Auto Show and is based on a Fangchengbao-specific platform called DMO (Dual Mode Off-Road).

Commercial vehicles

Light commercial vehicles and taxis

The BYD e6, first introduced in 2009 as the first battery electric vehicle from BYD, is predominantly marketed as taxis. It has been used as a taxi in many cities in China, Europe and other Asian countries, as well as in fleets for ride-sharing apps. BYD also offered battery electric panel vans and windowed vans such as the T3/ETP3 and V3.

Buses

BYD produces battery electric buses in various forms and sizes, such as single-deck buses, double-deck buses, articulated buses, school buses, and long-distance coaches. As of 2023, BYD has delivered over 100,000 battery electric buses globally.

In North America, BYD buses are produced in the US at BYD's plant in Lancaster, California. It is the largest battery-electric bus manufacturer in North America.

Trucks

BYD is one of the largest battery electric truck manufacturer in the world, with more than 8,000 trucks in service globally as of 2021. It has sold more than 200 battery electric trucks in service across the United States. It produces Class 5, Class 6, Class 7 and Class 8 trucks, refuse trucks, street sweeper trucks, mining trucks, and construction vehicles.

Technologies

Plug-in hybrid electric systems

DM (dual mode)

The BYD DM (dual mode) hybrid technology was first introduced in 2008, on vehicles such as the BYD F3DM and BYD M3 DM. It consisted of a conventional internal combustion engine and transmission as well as an electric motor and batteries.

DM-i/DM-p

BYD DM-i powertrain in display

The DM-i and DM-p replaced the DM technology. DM-i is for efficiency-oriented front-wheel drive models and DM-p is for performance-oriented all-wheel drive models. The models use series-parallel plug-in hybrid technology with a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), consisting of a high-efficiency petrol engine (Xiaoyun) (which can power an electric generator) and a main electric motor (which can be powered by batteries and/or an electric generator). The Xiaoyun engine uses the Atkinson cycle, has an ultra-high compression ratio (CR) of 15.5, and has a Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) of 43%, which is claimed to be the world's highest for a production petrol engine.

The hybrid drivetrain uses context-dependent components to provide driving power, including battery-only, battery + electrical generator mode, engine-only mode (only at high speeds due to lack of transmission), and battery + engine mode. The engine charges the batteries via the generator when conditions permit. The design allows the engine to remain within its high-efficiency zone.

The DM-i is available with three power levels, codenamed EHS132, EHS145, and EHS160, using 1.5-litre, 1.5-litre or 1.5-litre turbocharged, and 1.5-litre turbocharged Xiaoyun engines respectively.

In January 2024, reports surfaced that BYD plans to stop producing pouch-type batteries used in its plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2025 to address durability concerns and risk of leaking electrolyte. The company will use prismatic batteries known as "Short Blade" for its plug-in hybrid vehicles going forward.

Software and connectivity

DiLink (global version) in landscape mode in a BYD Han EV
DiLink (global version) in portrait mode in a BYD Seal U

BYD equipped most of its passenger cars with DiLink, a service ecosystem of technology and content developed independently by BYD. The system is claimed to integrate in-vehicle network systems, cloud communication, AI, big data and other technologies. The user interface is inspired by mobile phones, which is supported by rotatable screens in BYD vehicles. The system supports over-the-air updates. BYD also cooperated with Alibaba Cloud for its DiCloud AI cloud platform for the DiLink. Initial iterations of the DiLink (version 1.0) were used in vehicles such as the second-generation BYD Tang, and uses hardware comprising a 14.6-inch screen, 4G connection and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage.

The latest version of DiLink, the DiLink 4.0 was introduced in August 2021. The updated version supports 5G network, and feature reworked user interface that is more intuitive. The hardware for the DiLink 4.0 is known to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SM6350 chipset with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

One of the popular feature in the DiLink for the Chinese market is the inclusion of karaoke. BYD is one of the first brand in China to include karaoke in the in-car entertainment system, allowing occupants to sing through the optional or included DiLink microphone.

BYD also introduced BYD OS in 2021 alongside the e-Platform 3.0, which is an in-house operating system for battery electric vehicles that decouples software and hardware. It reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs, while offering the possibility for other manufacturers that uses the platform to integrate their own software and hardware.

Blade battery

Blade battery showcased at the IAA Summit 2023, Germany

The Blade battery is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for electric vehicles designed and manufactured by FinDreams Battery, a subsidiary of BYD Company. It was first used by the BYD Han in 2020. The battery is claimed to be thinner and safer than typical electric vehicle batteries, and has been used by other car companies. BYD claims that in a nail penetration test where the battery is impaled with a nail, the Blade battery emitted no smoke or fire after being penetrated, and its surface temperature reached only 30 to 60 °C (86 to 140 °F). In the same test, a three-layered lithium battery would exceed 500 °C (932 °F) and subsequently burned.

e-Platform 3.0

The e-Platform 3.0 is a modular car platform specialised for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). It offers improved integration of BYD's proprietary Blade battery technology with an improved pure electric frame with doubled torsional stiffness, a more efficient 8-in-1 module for the drive system, a direct cooling and heating system for the battery pack (utilising residual heat, powertrain, passenger compartment, and the battery itself) to increase thermal efficiency by up to 20%, and shorter front overhangs, lower body profile, and a longer wheelbase to improve aerodynamics.

The platform enables all-electric ranges exceeding 1,000 km (620 mi), with 800-volt fast charging technology for a range up to 150 km (93 mi) after 5-minutes of charging and allows an all-wheel drive (AWD) system with 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of up to 2.9 seconds. It allows cell-to-body (CTB) battery integration. CTB replaces the previous cell-to-pack (CTP) technology launched by CATL and then dismissed by them in 2019.

The first car designed using this platform is the Dolphin, followed by the Yuan Plus (Atto 3 in global markets), Seal, Denza D9 EV, among others.

Manufacturing

BYD Auto has significantly cut manufacturing costs using three methods: vertical integration, self-produced moulds, and self-produced production lines and equipment. BYD claims to be the company that offers the world's highest degree of vertical integration. Over 70 percent of BYD's vehicle components are self-supplied, which enhance profits. Within the BYD group, it employs an extensive vertical integration to integrate the supply chain for components such as mouldings, batteries, motors, and electronic controls. BYD created FinDreams in 2020, a brand used by five automotive component manufacturers fully owned by BYD Company which also supplies components to other automotive companies.

A teardown by investment bank UBS of the BYD Seal revealed that 75 percent of the components were made in-house. Its competition, the Tesla Model 3 only uses 46 percent of components that are made in-house in China. UBS concluded that this helped the Seal achieve a gross profit margin of 16 percent, compared to 14 percent for the made-in-China Model 3. BYD Auto also invests in supply chain by operating their own shipping services to export its cars.

Facilities

China

BYD Auto's manufacturing plants are located in Xi'an, Shaanxi, in Shenzhen (the headquarters of BYD Company), Changsha, Hunan, and Shaoguan, Guangdong. The company also operates an R&D centers in Shenzhen and Shanghai.

The Xi'an plant is BYD Auto's first production base, which includes electric assembly, electric motor, and battery production. The first expansion of the plant was completed in September 2014, when the Xi'an BYD No. 2 Plant went operational. BYD added an electric bus plant in the complex in 2017, with an annual capacity of 5,000 units. Following the completion of the third phase development in September 2022, the current annual production capacity of the Xi'an production base is 900,000 vehicles. As of 2024, it is the largest single manufacturing company in the Shaanxi province.

In late 2012, the Changsha plant went operational with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. A second phase plant went operational in 2022, making the total production capacity in Changsha reach 300,000 vehicles annually.

BYD Auto started construction of its largest plant in Hefei, Anhui in July 2021, which started operations in June 2022. It will be built in three phases with final annual capacity of 1.32 million vehicles.

BYD vehicle manufacturing plants in China
Subsidiary Plant Location Start of production Annual capacity Products Models produced (2024)
BYD Auto Co., Ltd. Xi'an Plant (initially acquired from Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile) Xi'an, Shaanxi 2003 (under BYD) 900,000 vehicles
  • Passenger vehicles
  • EV buses
  • Engines
List

Passenger vehicles:

Buses:

Changzhou Branch Changzhou, Jiangsu 2022 400,000 vehicles Passenger vehicles
List

Passenger vehicles:

BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. Changsha Branch Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan 2012 600,000 vehicles
  • Passenger vehicles
  • EV buses
  • EV trucks
  • Traction motor
List

Passenger vehicles:

Buses:

  • K series

Trucks:

  • T series
Chengde Branch Chengde, Hebei EV buses
Dalian Branch Dalian, Liaoning Large EV buses
Guilin Branch Guilin, Guangxi EV buses
List

Buses:

  • K series
Hangzhou Branch Hangzhou, Zhejiang EV buses
Hefei Branch Changfeng, Hefei, Anhui 2022 1,320,000 vehicles
List

Passenger vehicles:

  • Destroyer 05 (2022–present)
  • Qin Plus DM-i (2022–present)
  • Song L (2023–present)
  • Song Pro DM-i (2022–present)
  • Seal DM-i (2023–present)
  • Yuan Up (2024–present)
Huaian Branch Huai'an, Jiangsu
  • EV light trucks
  • EV medium and heavy trucks
Nanjing Branch Lishui, Nanjing, Jiangsu
Qingdao Branch Chengyang District, Qingdao, Shandong EV buses
Shanwei Branch Luhe, Shanwei, Guangdong EV buses
Shenzhen Plant Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 350,000 vehicles
  • Passenger vehicles
  • Engines
  • Traction motor
  • LFP battery cells
  • Lithium-ion battery pack
List

Passenger vehicles:

  • Denza N7 (2023–present)
  • Denza N8 (2023–present)
  • Denza D9 (2022–present)
  • Dolphin (2021–present)
  • Fangchengbao Bao 5 (2023–present)
  • Han DM (2020–present)
  • Han EV (2020–present)
  • Song L (2023–present)
  • Yangwang U9 (2024–present)
Taiyuan Branch Taiyuan, Shanxi EV buses
Wuhan Branch Huangpi District, Wuhan, Hubei EV buses
Yinchuan Branch Yinchuan, Ningxia EV buses
Zhengzhou Branch Zhengzhou, Henan 2023 400,000 vehicles Passenger vehicles
List

Passenger vehicles:

  • Fangchengbao Bao 5 (2023–present)
  • Seal DM-i (2023–present)
  • Song Pro DM-i (2023–present)
Fuzhou BYD Industrial Co., Ltd.(acquired from Dorcen) Fuzhou, Jiangxi 2023 (under BYD) 200,000 vehicles Passenger vehicles
List

Passenger vehicles:

  • e2 (2023–present)
  • e3 (2023–present)
  • Yuan Pro (2023–present)
Hangzhou Xihu BYD New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd. Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang EV special vehicles
Guangzhou GAC BYD New Energy Passenger Vehicle Co., Ltd. Conghua, Guangzhou, Guangdong 2015 EV buses
Tianjin BYD Automobile Co., Ltd. Wuqing, Tianjin EV buses
Xi'an Silver Bus Co., Ltd. (acquired from Xi'an Gaoke Group) Xi'an, Shaanxi 2023 (under BYD) EV buses
References:

Overseas

BYD Motors Inc. facility in Lancaster, California, in 2016

BYD opened a manufacturing plant for electric buses in Lancaster, California, US in May 2013. Another plant was inaugurated in Campinas, Brazil in 2015 for the production of electric buses. BYD also opened a bus plant in 2019 in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.

BYD has a European electric bus assembly facility in Komárom, Hungary. The plant employed 300 people by the end of 2019, with a production capacity of up to 400 electric buses a year (and 600 chassis) on two shifts.

In July 2023, BYD announced a US$620 million investment in Camaçari, Brazil to produce electric cars, after acquiring Ford's former plant.

BYD vehicle manufacturing plants outside China
Country Plant Location Start of production Annual capacity Products Models produced (2024)
Brazil BYD Auto Co., Ltd., Campinas Plant Campinas, São Paulo 2018 EV bus chassis
BYD Auto Camaçari Camaçari, Bahia 2025
  • Passenger vehicles
  • EV bus chassis
  • EV truck chassis
Hungary BYD Electric Bus & Truck Hungary Kft Puskás Tivadar, Komárom 300 vehicles
  • EV buses
  • EV bus chassis
Alexander Dennis buses
India BYD India Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu
  • Passenger vehicles
  • EV bus chassis
Passenger vehicles:
  • Atto 3 (2022–present)
  • e6 (2022–present)
Olectra Greentech Ltd. Jadcherla, Mahbubnagar EV buses Buses:
  • C series
  • K series
Thailand BYD Auto (Thailand) Rayong 2024 Passenger vehicles
United States BYD Motors Inc., Lancaster Plant Lancaster, California 2014
  • EV buses
  • EV trucks
Buses:
  • C series
  • K series
Uzbekistan BYD Uzbekistan Factory Jizzakh 2024 Passenger vehicles Passenger vehicles:
References:

Design centre

BYD E-Seed GT concept car

In 2019, BYD launched its global design centre in Shenzhen, China. It is led by industry veterans from European brands, led by Global Design director Wolfgang Egger, BYD Global Exterior Design director JuanMa Lopez and Global Interior Design director Michele Jauch-Paganetti.

The carmaker unveiled the E-Seed GT concept car, the first joint effort from the team, at the Auto Shanghai in April 2019. The design concept reflected the lines of the traditional Chinese dragon.

Partnerships

Toyota joint venture

BYD and Toyota formed a joint venture called BYD Toyota EV Technology Co., Ltd. (BTET), which was formalised in April 2020 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China. It was established with a focus on the research and development of battery electric vehicles. The first product conceived by the joint venture is the Toyota bZ3, a Chinese market battery electric sedan that is manufactured by FAW Toyota.

Hino Motors joint venture

In October 2020, BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. signed an agreement with Japanese truck and bus manufacturer Hino Motors to establish a joint venture for commercial battery electric vehicle development. The joint venture plans to release vehicles under the Hino brand by 2025.

In February 2023, Hino Motors halted sales of compact electric buses in Japan supplied by BYD as the bus contains hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen chemical that is banned under Japanese industry guidelines. The bus affected is the Hino Poncho Z EV. Hino was unable to negotiate with BYD to build the bus without using the chemical, while BYD Japan claims that the buses "meet all required laws and standards".

Alexander Dennis

In 2015, BYD Auto teamed up with Alexander Dennis, the UK's leading bus manufacturer, to build electric buses specifically for the British market. Alexander Dennis built their Enviro200EV single-deck and Enviro400EV double-deck products on BYD's chassis.

Songsan Motor

Songsan SS Dolphin

A small Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Songsan Motor contracted BYD to produce retro-styled cars, as the company does not have a production license. Its first vehicle, the Songsan SS Dolphin (unrelated to the BYD Dolphin) was introduced in 2019 using Chevrolet Corvette C1 as a design inspiration. It is based on BYD's platform and powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain. As legally required, the car wears BYD badges alongside Songsan Motor logo. As of 2023, deliveries to customers have not started yet. Songsan sued BYD in September 2023 due to alleged contract disputes and fraudulent environmental certifications, an allegation that was denied by BYD.

Lawsuits and controversies

Imitation of competing models

2009 BYD S8

BYD Auto had been accused of taking designs from other manufacturers. Articles claimed BYD F1 "is a clear copy of the Toyota Aygo," that the BYD S6 "closely apes the Lexus RX", the BYD F3 "is a copycat of the Toyota Corolla", the BYD S8 has a similar appearance to a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, with "features an almost identical Mercedes-Benz CLK front-end and Renault Megane CC rear". BYD founder Wang Chuanfu responded by claiming the company only uses "non-patented technologies". In 2009, the U.S. government had been advised by its consul-general in Guangzhou, China that BYD uses an approach of "copying and then modifying car designs." Chinese courts ruled BYD has not infringed on patents.

Nanjing electric vehicle fraud

In 2016, a peculiar suicide note written by a BYD dealership owner in Nanjing started an investigation into government subsidy fraud. The dealership owner committed suicide after facing bankruptcy, for which he blamed BYD. According to the note, BYD had received government subsidies for 600 electric buses it had never produced. A single electric bus went for about CN¥2 million (US$305,000). Of 600 buses, the city had received only a few dozen. That year, the Finance Ministry fined five manufacturers (not including BYD) which had fraudulently obtained more than CN¥1 billion (US$153 million) worth of subsidies. The companies were required to return the subsidies in full and also pay penalties worth an additional 50 percent of subsidies received.

According to the relatives of the man, BYD forced dealerships to increase electric vehicle inventories even though sales were low. In an attempt to clear inventories, dealerships tried selling to people from outside of Nanjing, while simultaneously trying to help them get temporary Nanjing residence documents. According to a dealership employee, the dealerships wound up paying the subsidies on 80 percent of vehicles sold.

Manufacturing plant pollution

In May 2022, Changsha city authorities opened an investigation into a manufacturing plant owned by BYD Auto in the city following complaints from nearby residents. The allegations surfaced in April 2022 on a website belonging to state newspaper People's Daily, where people living near the factory left messages claiming the plant's pollution had a strong odour, which gave residents irritated throats and nosebleeds to children. Residents purchased testing equipment, and found levels of TVOCs above safety standards. Residents protested at the Changsha plant's gate, urging the company to solve the problem. BYD denied the allegations, stating that all emissions from the plant were compliant with China's regulatory rules and standards, and threatened legal actions against people who spread rumours that emissions from the factory had caused nosebleeds. Production in the plant was partially halted during the investigation.

Fuel tank evaporative emissions

In May 2023, rival Great Wall Motor publicly reported that two BYD top-selling plug-in hybrid models did not meet emission standards. In a social media post, Great Wall Motor accused BYD of using non-pressurised fuel tanks in its Qin Plus and Song Plus, enabling the liquid inside evaporate more rapidly than it would in pressurised tanks, and announced that it had submitted evidence documents to Chinese authorities. BYD denied Great Wall's claim, saying the testing conducted by Great Wall was invalid as it run its own tests by using a different testing method required by authorities and without third-party inspection.

Quality concerns of buses

In December 2018, the Albuquerque, New Mexico council in the US sued BYD over the alleged poor welding, poor battery range, and malfunctioning doors and brakes of its buses. BYD denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was settled without money changing hands.

A 2018 investigation by The Los Angeles Times found reliability issues with the BYD buses.

In February 2023, BYD confirmed the presence of a toxic chemical, hexavalent chromium, in its electric buses in Japan. According to BYD, the contaminated vehicles will be "detoxified before being scrapped, leaving no impact on the environment."

Sales

BYD yearly global sales
Year Total BYD Denza Yangwang FCB
2003 21,253 21,253 - - -
2004 17,900 17,900 - - -
2005 11,038 11,038 - - -
2006 63,592 63,592 - - -
2007 101,665 101,665 - - -
2008 170,880 170,880 - - -
2009 448,458 448,458 - - -
2010 521,761 521,761 - - -
2011 454,676 454,676 - - -
2012 462,512 462,512 - - -
2013 514,188 514,188 - - -
2014 446,329 446,329 - - -
2015 451,868 449,068 2,800 - -
2016 510,157 507,870 2,287 - -
2017 421,158 416,445 4,713 - -
2018 528,298 526,324 1,974 - -
2019 467,960 465,871 2,089 - -
2020 431,447 427,302 4,175 - -
2021 749,325 744,617 4,708 - -
2022 1,881,669 1,871,866 9,803 - -
2023 3,024,417 2,888,864 127,840 2,001 5,712
  1. ^ Figures before 2012 exclude exports

BYD car sales in 2009 were 448,400 vehicles. Its F3 was the best-selling sedan in China with sales of over 291,000 units. In 2010, BYD sold 519,800 vehicles, representing 2.9 percent of the market in China, its sixth largest manufacturer. In 2011, the BYD sales rank was outside the top ten. In 2012, the company became the 9th largest car manufacturer in China, producing over 600,000 vehicles. In 2013, BYD sold 506,189 passenger cars in China, ranking tenth.

BYD sales had increased significantly compared to its previous years since 2021, in part as a result of the rapid increase of new energy vehicle sales as a percentage of total passenger vehicle sales in China in 2021 and 2022. While the new energy vehicle market share were stagnant between 4–5 percent since 2018, in 2021 and 2022, new energy vehicles accounted for 15.4 and 27.5 percent all passenger vehicle sales respectively. Within BYD's total vehicle sales, new energy vehicles also account for an increasing percentage from 52.4 percent in 2018 into reaching 99.2 percent in the first half of 2022 as the company announced it would stop producing pure internal combustion engine vehicles.

In late 2022 and early 2023, BYD plug-in hybrid vehicles surpassed the sales of its battery electric vehicles, which was partly attributed to the positive reception of BYD's DM-i hybrid system technology that replaced the older DM hybrid in January 2021. In 2023, 52.5 percent of BYD's sales volume were from battery electric vehicles (including commercial vehicles).

In the first half of 2022, BYD becomes the top plug-in electric vehicle seller after surpassing Tesla. Since 2023, BYD became the top-selling car brand in China ahead of Volkswagen, marking the first time another company has sold more cars than Volkswagen in the country. The company surpassed Tesla as the top battery electric vehicle manufacturer in the fourth quarter of 2023 by selling 526,409 battery electric cars, while Tesla delivered 484,507 vehicles.

Quarterly sales (2018–present)

A BYD showroom in a shopping mall in Shenzhen


100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
1
2 2018
3
4
1
2 2019
3
4
1
2 2020
3
4
1
2 2021
3
4
1
2 2022
3
4
1
2 2023
3
4
  • ICE
  • PHEV
  • BEV
  • BEV buses & trucks


BYD quarterly global sales (since 2018)
Quarter ICE PHEV BEV BEV
buses & trucks
Total
Q1 2018 82,140 23,184 5,315 1,138 111,777
Q2 2018 67,473 24,246 18,525 2,476 112,720
Q3 2018 58,540 33,976 30,091 4,467 127,074
Q4 2018 64,723 42,483 49,332 12,578 169,116
Q1 2019 44,406 25,745 45,487 1,940 117,578
Q2 2019 38,013 19,237 50,292 2,952 110,494
Q3 2019 60,756 17,279 27,879 1,809 107,723
Q4 2019 88,718 9,907 23,527 3,452 125,604
Q1 2020 39,081 3,412 18,110 670 61,273
Q2 2020 58,870 7,776 28,151 2,467 97,264
Q3 2020 60,083 14,325 32,088 3,628 110,124
Q4 2020 79,249 22,571 52,981 3,556 158,357
Q1 2021 49,394 14,781 38,599 1,371 104,145
Q2 2021 42,716 41,990 54,841 2,444 141,991
Q3 2021 23,055 88,903 91,684 2,101 205,743
Q4 2021 21,183 127,261 135,686 3,257 287,387
Q1 2022 5,049 141,424 143,223 1,496 291,192
Q2 2022 0 173,124 180,296 1,601 355,021
Q3 2022 0 278,554 258,610 1,540 538,704
Q4 2022 0 343,047 329,011 1,382 673,440
Q1 2023 0 283,270 264,647 4,159 552,076
Q2 2023 0 348,081 352,163 3,317 703,561
Q3 2023 0 390,491 431,603 1,907 824,001
Q4 2023 0 416,242 526,409 2,128 944,779
Reference: BYD Company monthly announcements

Milestones

Milestone Date
1,000,000th NEV production 19 May 2021
2,000,000th NEV production May 2022
3,000,000th NEV production 16 November 2022
5,000,000th NEV production 3 August 2023
6,000,000th NEV production 24 November 2023
7,000,000th NEV production 25 March 2024

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-26 09:10 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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