Here’s how BYD is working on its image problem
China’s BYD is selling millions of EVs, famously outselling Tesla in the last quarter of 2023, and riding an enormous wave of success. But not many Europeans (and practically no Americans) have ever heard of it, much less trust it as a reliable brand. But as the EV giant makes inroads outside of China, it is looking to change that, the old-school way, dealer by dealer.
While European automakers have been shifting over to direct sales à la Tesla, China’s BYD, for Build Your Dreams, along with Chinese peers Xpend and Great Wall Motor are looking to dealers to build sales and provide networks to help their brands build solid reputations and trust among Europeans. And now, BYD is setting up its BYD-only shop in Germany.
“European consumers have no inkling of Chinese brands,” Daniel Kirchert, the head of e-mobility consultancy Noyo and former BMW executive, told Automotive News Europe. “It’s a huge challenge for Chinese carmakers to make clear to Europeans that their cars are on par with Tesla, at a better price.”
Reuters reports that BYD just opened up its new BYD-only shop in Berlin in its latest move to grow the brand in a country that loves German cars and Teslas. The strategy is to help get German EV shoppers closer to the brand, raise brand awareness, and build sales of its affordable EVs in Europe’s largest automobile market. While BYD has done well in some European markets, it ranks a distant third among China’s Geely’s Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, and MG brand, owned by SAIC, Automotive New Europe reports.
‘Just like Tesla, only cheaper’
The automaker is putting five models on sale in Germany at a shop owned by dealership Sternauto, which has exclusive rights to sell BYD cars in eastern Germany, Reuters reports. While the Atto3, Han, and Tang surely aren’t stunners, BYD is leaning on the fact that they are practical and affordable – and that strategy has worked well for other automakers expanding globally, such as Korea’s Hyundai and Kia. Plus BYD has thousands of engineers working to ramp up its smart tech game, so BYD is aiming for a just-like-Tesla-only-cheaper angle.
“One of the biggest topics for BYD is that it is not that familiar to German customers,” Oliver Hein, head of BYD for Sternauto, told Reuters. But that is changing, he says, as the brand is investing heavily in marketing.
BYD, too, is sticking to the auto show model to build its reputation, and will be among just a handful of big-name automakers attending the Geneva Motor Show, including Renault, Dacia, BG, and Lucid.
Last year, the company sold 1.6 million fully battery-electric vehicles, overtaking Telsa in overall BEV sales. Adding up sales for all so-called new energy vehicles, including battery-only vehicles and plug-in hybrids, BYD sold 3 million vehicles in 2023. Still, 90% of its revenue comes from sales in China.
While BYD is targeting Germany, which has been among the global leaders in its transition to EVs, the country is expected to see a 14% drop in EV sales this year.
BYD is also among the Chinese companies that have come under harsh scrutiny from Europe due to subsidy policies that put Europe at a competitive disadvantage, all while being thrust into a trade war with North America and Europe.
Meanwhile, the US and Europe are tightening their rules on Chinese cars and EV parts being sold in their countries, with tariffs so high in the US that China has turned its focus on other areas, namely South America, Asia, and Europe.
Electrek reported yesterday that BYD had just signed a preliminary land purchase deal for its EV plant in Hungary. It is also building plants in Brazil and Thailand.
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Climate XChange’s 9th Annual EV Raffle is your chance to win the electric car of your dreams – from Rivian to Tesla to Porsche and more!
But don’t wait, because there are only 5,000 tickets available!
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How it works
Enter at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek. Every ticket you buy is one entry to win. Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets, which means your odds are better here than most internet sweepstakes! Plus, you can feel good knowing your ticket supports an amazing cause: pushing for state-level climate action and advancing the transition to a zero-emissions economy.
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That’s two drawings for the price of one ticket – and four chances to win big!
Why enter?
Climate XChange has been making dreams come true for nearly a decade. Last year’s winner drove off in a custom red Tesla Model X Plaid, and you could be next! Climate XChange takes fairness seriously: It prints every raffle ticket stub and live-streams the entire drawing process, ensuring transparency. Independent auditors oversee everything, so you know the drawing is legit.
Who is Climate XChange?
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Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to grab your ticket. Limited tickets are available – remember, Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets – so don’t miss your shot at an electric future!
Climate XChange EV Raffle rules summary
- Must be 18 or older to enter.
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All proceeds support Climate XChange’s work to push for ambitious climate policy – so even if you don’t win, you’re still making a difference.
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China just connected its largest single-capacity solar farm built on a former coal mining area, which is in the Gobi Desert, to the grid.
The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, located in Otog Front Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, came online on November 5. With a massive installed capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and over 5.9 million solar panels, the plant will generate around 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power 2 million households.
This huge project will save about 1.71 million tons of standard coal each year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 4.7 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 62,700 hectares (around 155,000 acres) of trees.
Built on coal mining subsidence land, Mengxi Blue Ocean is part of China’s national West-East Electricity Transfer Project, which brings investment and development to western China west while supplying the growing need for electricity in the eastern provinces.
The solar farm includes the country’s first large-scale outdoor solar testing base in the Gobi Desert climate, demonstrating the potential for large solar installations in challenging environments.
The power station makes use of new rare earth alloy grounding materials, cutting costs by 40%. It also replaces traditional concrete foundations with steel to minimize impact on the local grassland ecosystem.
Chuang Xihong, deputy director of the Engineering Construction Department of Guodian Power Group, CHN Energy’s parent company, explained that Mengxi Blue Ocean is an agrivoltaic project as well [via PV Tech]:
Fine forage and sand-fixing plants are planted under the PV modules, providing grazing for Australian White Sheep and chickens. A composite ecological development model will be established where PV power generation and breeding will go hand in hand.
Read more: China powers up the world’s largest open-sea offshore solar farm
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