Chinese manufacturer BYD, the world’s second-largest electric car manufacturer, plans to set up one or more factories in Europe over the next few years. A strategy that could allow it to increase its sales on the Old Continent, and in particular in France.
For some time now, Chinese brands have been making headlines. Indeed, it is a long time ago when these had a low-end image and almost all produced pale copies of models already existing in Europe or the United States. Today, these no longer have anything to envy from the manufacturers present on the Old Continent, benefiting in particular from the know-how and innovations of European brands , which produce more and more of their vehicles there.
A NEW ACTOR
Indeed, and as recalled by a report from Jato Dynamics , no less than 20% of electric cars sold in Europe in August were made in China . A worrying situation, which risks changing our continent from the status of exporter to that of importer by 2025, to the detriment of competitiveness and jobs.
Nevertheless, and while many manufacturers such as Tesla , BMW , Renault and more recently Cupra are outsourcing their production, some Chinese brands are opting for the opposite strategy. This is particularly the case of BYD , which has announced its intention to build a factory in Europe over the next few years .
Relayed by the very serious site Bloomberg , Stella Li, the vice-president of the Chinese brand present at the last world of Paris announces indeed that this one wishes to produce cars with us. But it may not be one but perhaps two production sites that will see the light of day.
For the time being, the company is studying all possibilities regarding localization, in order to best support its ” rising power “, as Li explains. She also takes the opportunity to confirm that BYD is in the process of acquiring its own boats , in order to export its cars more easily and on a large scale all over the world.
DEVELOPMENT IN EUROPE
The brand is following in the footsteps of the world leader CATL , which already has a factory in Germany and which is going to build a second in Hungary to manufacture its batteries. BYD’s project, however, is a little different, since these are cars that will come off the European assembly lines. Unless BYD also wants to set up battery manufacturing plants, since the Chinese giant is one of the top 5 lithium-ion battery manufacturers in the world. This drastically reduces pollution during the battery production phase .
It’s not yet known when production will begin, and no details about which models will be made there have been revealed. But it seems very likely to be the BYD Atto 3, Tang and Han , which will be sold in Europe over the next few years. As a reminder, these are two SUVs and a sedan, which should notably overshadow the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. These may be visible in concessions, which are opening in Europe. The future BYD Seal could also be affected.
But this arrival on the continent is not really innocent. It will obviously make it possible to speed up deliveries , without having to depend on longer maritime transport, while reducing the costs linked to logistics. But this is not the only advantage.
Indeed, while the French government plans to remove the ecological bonus for vehicles produced outside the European Union such as the MG 4 , Dacia Spring and other Tesla Model 3 , the manufacture of future BYD vehicles here will allow them to still be eligible for government assistance . An asset that should help attract customers.