The automaker is invested heavily in Europe, and already building two local factories
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by Brad Anderson
April 30, 2025 at 05:09
- The Chinese brand says it will introduce two new PHEVs in Europe this year.
- BYD sold over 37,000 vehicles during the first quarter of the year.
- In April, it launched its premium Denza brand in the continent.
While BYD is well-known as one of the world’s leading battery-electric vehicle makers, it actually sells more plug-in hybrids than it does EVs. This is good news for its European expansion plans, as the company has recently acknowledged that because not all new car buyers are ready to transition to an EV, it needs to sell more PHEVs across the Old Continent.
China remains BYD’s largest market, but in order to establish itself as a legitimate global rival to legacy brands, it needs to boost its sales in Europe. Gaining a foothold in this market has proven to be tricky, due in part to an insufficient network of dealerships and a lack of PHEV options.
Read: BYD Seal U DM-I Plug-In Hybrid SUV Brings China’s PHEV Tech To Europe
While recently speaking at an event in Stuttgart, Germany, BYD’s chief for several central European countries, Maria Grazia Davino, said it’s planning to introduce at least two more PHEVs in markets including Germany this year. As it stands, the sole plug-in hybrid that BYD sells in Europe is the Seal DM-i.
“Not everyone is ready for electric. We need something else to convince the customer,” Davino told Reuters. “Every month, we find the best balance between what the customer wants and what makes distribution successful. In the near future, we will have two pillars: one fully electric, and the other DM-i.”
Although BYD is subject to European import tariffs announced last year, it will build many of its locally sold models at new production complexes in Hungary and Turkey, allowing it to side-step these tariffs.
While its local sales have not taken off as quickly as it would have liked, there are signs of improvement. During the first quarter of 2025, BYD sold over 37,000 vehicles across Europe, a rise of around 8,500 units from Q1 2024.
In addition to bringing more PHEVs to Europe, BYD recently launched its new premium Denza brand. Positioned as a rival to the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, Denza will first start selling its Z9 GT, created as a competitor to the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo. It will start local sales of the D9 van at a later date.
