BYD announced Tuesday that its first locally made electric vehicle — a Dolphin family hatchback — has rolled off the assembly line at its plant in Camaçari, in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil, as the Chinese EV giant plans a major expansion in Latin America. BYD’s first facility on the continent has an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Production of several models is expected to begin in the coming weeks, according to reports from NHK and China Daily. The 5.5 billion reais ($1 billion) industrial complex consists of three plants focused on producing commercial vehicle chassis, passenger EVs, and processing lithium-ion battery materials. It is expected to serve as a major export hub for the Latin American region. However, Bahia state Labor Secretary Augusto Vasconcelos said in May that the facility will not be “fully functional” until late 2026 due to an ongoing investigation into labor issues, Reuters reported. [China Daily, NHK, Reuters]
