BYD puts the brakes on its Canada launch – for now
BYD has decided to stall its plans to enter Canada, deterred by the country’s 100% federal tariffs on EVs imported from China. But here’s how BYD will likely make the move to enter the US or Canada anyway.
The decision puts a pin on the plan after months of legwork over the summer, with BYD execs meeting with dealers across Canada to discuss a possible distribution network of the brand’s vehicle and talking with lobbyists on how to get the federal government on board, Automobile News reports.
Back in August, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the government would follow the US’s plan to impose stiff tariffs on EV imports from China, all while BYD was busy trying to set the deal in place. Over the summer months, a lobbyist with Toronto’s Crestview Strategy told Automotive News that they had arranged six exchanges with BYD and senior members of the government, all set on clearing the way for EV sales and BYD setting up shop in the country.
Since then, communications have halted, and would-be distributors are in a holding pattern, according to sources who spoke to Automotive News. BYD hasn’t yet commented.
BYD is already a leading EV brand in Mexico and operates in about 90 markets – but tariffs have been a roadblock to breaking into the North American market, a situation that is likely to get more complicated with recently elected Donald Trump.
BYD could still launch an EV in North America
That said, BYD could still launch in North America, even with 100% tariffs. Analysts say that the company could easily absorb the tariffs on some vehicles – to a point. And it would have to strategize carefully about which model to bring over.
“There is the possibility that even with the 100-per-cent tariff, that they could still launch a model that could compete, but it’s a matter of which one, if it’s the right model for the market,” Lei Xing, China auto industry expert analyst told Automotive News.
The BYD Atto 3 and Seal seem likely candidates, he said, but US and Canadian consumers would likely have to pay a lot more for them (I guess BYD would be willing to absorb costs only to a point).
In France, for example, you can get an Atto 3 for about $45,000, and a Seal for $65,000. Of course, the subcompact BYD Seagull, the brand’s smallest car that sells for around $10,000 in China, would be an easier choice in terms of cost control. The brand plans to launch a European version in 2025, but the North American market isn’t as welcoming to small cars, Lei Xing said.
The North American move is on hold for now, Chinese brands as ambitious as BYD won’t likely be put off by tariffs for too long – it’s just a matter of when, and with which vehicle.
“Imported vehicles cost a lot more, but these companies really want to be into this marketplace, said Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at US-based AutoForecast Solutions, told Automotive News. “North America is the crown jewel for any global automaker. So, finding a way to get any volume sold, they’ll take the cost.”
Some other options too cited by Fiorani include building market share and brand recognition – where I am in France, BYD ads are literally everywhere. Next step, set up assembly plants somewhere in North America, or import vehicles into Canada from other countries other than China – but then again, Canada could respond accordingly with tighter restrictions, so it’s a moving target.
Also, over-the-air infrastructure for Chinese vehicles could be problematic since Canada seems likely to follow the US’s proposed rules banning Chinese hardware and software for connected vehicles in the interest of national security. So in order to work around that, companies would need a separate OTA infrastructure to process data locally, not back and forth to China.
Meanwhile BYD is seemingly very large and in charge. It’s currently ramping up production by close to 200,000 units to meet demand, and the company has hired nearly 200,000 new employees over the past three months.
Photos courtesy of BYD
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Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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As “extreme” weather events become more commonplace, the demand for reliable and portable energy continues to rise. In response to that growing demand for dependable off-grid power, Volvo has developed the new PU500 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed to take electrical power when it’s needed most.
Designed to be deployable in a number of environments at a moment’s notice, the Volvo Energy PU500 BESS is equipped with approximately 500 kWh of usable battery capacity (up to 540 kWh total). More than enough juice, in other words, to power a remote construction site, disaster response effort, or even a music festival – anything that needs access to reliable electricity beyond a grid connection.
That’s great, but what sets the PU500 apart from other battery storage solutions is its integrated 240 kW DC fast charger.
“With an integrated CCS2 charger, the PU500 is designed to work with all brands of electric equipment, trucks, and passenger cars,” says Niklas Thulin, Head of BESS Product Offer at Volvo Energy. “This ensures that no matter what type of electric vehicle or machinery you rely on, the PU500 can provide the power you need, making it a truly flexible solution for any grid constrained site or location.”
The integrated charger in the PU500 has the impressive ability to charge a heavy equipment asset (be that an electric semi truck or something like a wheel loader) in under two hours. Its on-board capacity allows to fully recharge up to 3 electric HD trucks or 20 electric cars per day, making it an incredibly versatile disaster response asset.
Electrek’s Take
As we often say over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast, “just because you’re working for the power company doesn’t mean you have power,” and there are hundreds of scenarios where the extra power provided by something like the new PU500 would be useful. Its ability to be palletized and easily moved or swapped out of a larger BESS array, too, just add to its flexibility.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo.
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