Key facts
- BYD plans to launch its first heavy-duty truck in Europe next year.
- BYD aims to manufacture trucks locally in Europe in the long term.
- BYD wants to offer fleet operators a full package of services.
- Local production would help BYD avoid import tariffs.
- BYD is building a passenger car factory in Szeged, Hungary.
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD plans to launch its first heavy-duty truck in Europe next year and ultimately manufacture trucks locally, a senior executive said at the IAA trade fair in Hanover. Stella Li, BYD's executive vice president and head of international business, stated that for the long term, the company will produce everything it sells in Europe locally, aiming to become a "European company."
BYD wants to offer fleet operators a full package of services, including financing, solar-powered charging infrastructure, and a workshop network supported by mobile roadside assistance. Local production in Europe would also help BYD avoid import tariffs on trucks. European manufacturers, including Traton's MAN brand, have called on the European Union to impose tariffs on Chinese electric trucks similar to those already applied to Chinese EVs.
"We don't like this tariff because this did not benefit anybody, but we have to deal with it," Li added, saying that tariffs only amount to short-term pressure until local production can be ramped up. BYD is also preparing to increase its passenger-car manufacturing footprint in Europe, building a factory in Szeged, Hungary, where mass production is due to start next year.