The company said it will push plug-in hybrids in the European market in the coming time, in addition to launching pure electric cars.
Pure electric cars have been the target of most automakers in the world for many years, and BYD - known as one of the world's leading pure electric car manufacturers - is no exception. However, in fact, BYD's plug-in hybrids sell better than pure electric cars. This detail is important in the context of the company's desire to expand the market throughout Europe, where customers are not yet ready to "break up" with gasoline cars.
Until now, China has been BYD's largest market, but the company has affirmed that its next step is to expand globally. To become a serious competitor to established brands in Europe, experts say BYD needs to fill in the missing pieces here, including expanding its dealer network and offering more plug-in hybrid models, rather than focusing solely on pure electric vehicles.
Currently, BYD's plug-in hybrid models in Europe are not diverse, with only one model, the Seal DM-i sedan, but this is about to change. Maria Grazia Davino, BYD's regional director in charge of overseeing several Central European markets, shared at a recent event in Stuttgart, Germany, that at least two plug-in hybrid models will be launched in the European market by 2025. Germany is one of the main target markets.
BYD is currently subject to European tariffs on cars imported from China, but the company has made moves to address this. The brand's new manufacturing facilities in Hungary and Türkiye will handle a large portion of vehicles imported into Europe, helping to avoid those tariff costs. Meanwhile, BYD's European sales have not grown as quickly as expected, but there have been some positive signs. In the first quarter of 2025, BYD sold more than 37,000 vehicles across Europe, up from about 8,500 in the same period in 2024.
In addition to introducing more plug-in hybrids to Europe, BYD recently launched the Denza brand there. Denza is positioned to compete with rivals like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. The first Denza model to launch in Europe is the Z9 GT, which competes with the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo.
In the Vietnamese market, BYD also introduced its first plug-in hybrid model called Sealion 6, after its debut with pure electric models last year.
(according to Carscoops)