Speaking at an industry event in Berlin, BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li revealed that the automaker prefers acquiring a pre-existing facility rather than building a new plant from scratch. While Li kept the timeline and other potential target nations under wraps, the strategic pivot highlights BYD’s urgency to establish a deeper manufacturing footprint in the region, News.Az reports, citing Maaal.
This latest expansion move comes as BYD reshuffles its manufacturing priorities across Europe:
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Hungary Plant: Production at BYD’s first European factory in Hungary is now scheduled to begin in the final quarter of this year following minor timeline adjustments.
Turkiye Project Paused: The automaker has officially suspended its previous plans to build a factory in Turkiye to focus resources on its new Southern European initiative.
BYD’s aggressive production push is a direct response to explosive sales growth across Europe. The company is rapidly capturing market share with impressive year-over-year figures:
2025 Surge: BYD’s European sales skyrocketed by 270%, reaching approximately 188,000 vehicles.
2026 Momentum: Demand has more than doubled again, with sales already crossing the 100,000-unit milestone by May of this year.
By securing an existing factory in Southern Europe, BYD aims to bypass lengthy construction timelines, dodge potential import tariffs, and quickly scale up to meet this soaring consumer demand.
