Chinese electric car maker BYD aims for Europe boost
By AFP
March 20, 2025
BYD plans to launch its small format Seagull, to be renamed the Dolphin Surf in Europe around the middle of the year - Copyright AFP Philip FONG
Chinese carmaker BYD on Thursday vowed to conquer Europe with a new compact electric model and super-fast charging capability to rival continental brands.
“You will see, starting from March or April, our registration numbers will jump” in Europe, company vice-president Stella Li told AFP in an interview at a showroom in Paris.
“This year, BYD sales in the whole of Europe will start increasing.”
The group has launched major advertising campaigns including sponsorship of last year’s European Championships in football and has opened numerous new showrooms across the continent.
It plans to launch its small format Seagull, to be renamed the Dolphin Surf in Europe — a rival to the Renault 5 and Citroen C3 — around the middle of the year, Li said.
In China this week it unveiled a new charging system that it says will allow drivers 470 kilometres (nearly 300 miles) of battery life after charging for just five minutes — four times faster than the best systems currently on the market.
“It is really as fast as refuelling a petrol car,” Li said. “We are… preparing to bring this kind of cutting-edge technology to Europe in the next few years.”
BYD said it doubled its exports in the first two months of 2025 from a year earlier, to 130,000 vehicles. It sold 4.2 million worldwide in 2024, making it the globe’s sixth-biggest car firm.
The European Union has imposed a 17-percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles to make up for Chinese state subsidies.
EU restrictions “will not change BYD’s plan because BYD is like a long-term player”, Li insisted.
EU authorities are also reportedly investigating BYD’s first European factory, in Hungary, where electric car production is scheduled to start late this year.
“We will be very transparent, very open, working with anybody who wants to do an investigation,” Li said.
By AFP
March 20, 2025
BYD plans to launch its small format Seagull, to be renamed the Dolphin Surf in Europe around the middle of the year - Copyright AFP Philip FONG
Chinese carmaker BYD on Thursday vowed to conquer Europe with a new compact electric model and super-fast charging capability to rival continental brands.
“You will see, starting from March or April, our registration numbers will jump” in Europe, company vice-president Stella Li told AFP in an interview at a showroom in Paris.
“This year, BYD sales in the whole of Europe will start increasing.”
The group has launched major advertising campaigns including sponsorship of last year’s European Championships in football and has opened numerous new showrooms across the continent.
It plans to launch its small format Seagull, to be renamed the Dolphin Surf in Europe — a rival to the Renault 5 and Citroen C3 — around the middle of the year, Li said.
In China this week it unveiled a new charging system that it says will allow drivers 470 kilometres (nearly 300 miles) of battery life after charging for just five minutes — four times faster than the best systems currently on the market.
“It is really as fast as refuelling a petrol car,” Li said. “We are… preparing to bring this kind of cutting-edge technology to Europe in the next few years.”
BYD said it doubled its exports in the first two months of 2025 from a year earlier, to 130,000 vehicles. It sold 4.2 million worldwide in 2024, making it the globe’s sixth-biggest car firm.
The European Union has imposed a 17-percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles to make up for Chinese state subsidies.
EU restrictions “will not change BYD’s plan because BYD is like a long-term player”, Li insisted.
EU authorities are also reportedly investigating BYD’s first European factory, in Hungary, where electric car production is scheduled to start late this year.
“We will be very transparent, very open, working with anybody who wants to do an investigation,” Li said.
By AFP
March 21, 2025
An Xpeng G6 electric car at the opening of their second flagship store in Hong Kong on March 21, 2025 - Copyright AFP Annabelle Gordon
Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng said Friday that European Union tariffs on EVs made in China have had a “large economic impact” but will not deter the firm’s plans to tap European markets.
Brussels decided to impose tariffs in October of up to 35.3 percent on imports of Chinese electric cars, citing alleged subsidies that give them an unfair advantage over European rivals.
The tariffs are “something we have to deal with… it’s a large economic impact,” XPeng vice chairman and president Brian Gu said at the opening of a Hong Kong store.
The Guangzhou-headquartered firm said last month that it aimed to double its presence to 60 countries and regions this year — part of a years-long globalisation trend in the Chinese EV sector.
The tariffs are “not deterring us from tackling the European opportunity”, Gu told AFP, adding “we still think it’s a very important market”.
“Being local is the way to mitigate a lot of these tariffs and protectionism,” he said.
Following years of generous support from Beijing, China’s EV manufacturers have intensified their domestic competition and are eager to gain an edge via exports and innovations.
Chinese EV giant BYD saw a boost to its shares on Tuesday after unveiling new battery technology that it says can charge a vehicle in the same time it takes to fill up a petrol car.
Self-driving technology — commonly divided into five tiers, with L5 being full automation with no need for human drivers — is also a key battleground for Chinese carmakers.
The technology is “moving very rapidly”, fuelled by more powerful chips and artificial intelligence advancements, Gu said, adding that L4 vehicles could enter mass production next year.
Meanwhile, the United States had maintained its 100 percent tariff on China-made EVs and in January finalised a rule that effectively barred Chinese technology from its cars.
XPeng entered the Hong Kong market in April 2024 and has faced stiff competition from Chinese rivals and established names such as Tesla.
There were just shy of 500 XPeng vehicles registered for the first time in Hong Kong last year, behind other Chinese brands such as SAIC’s Maxus and Geely’s Zeekr, official figures show.
At its Friday store opening, the company said it will bring its luxury seven-seater X9 to Hong Kong.
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