BYD to Start Electric Car Production in Europe Next Year with Dolphin and Atto 3
BYD's global expansion is ongoing, with the company planning to produce its best-selling models Dolphin and Atto 3 locally in Europe next year.
In an interview with the German business magazine Capital, BYD's European head, Li Ke, revealed that BYD is constructing a large production base in Hungary, which will begin increasing its capacity by the end of 2025. Li Ke stated that BYD initially planned to first produce the micro electric vehicle Seagull in Europe, but the company adjusted its production priorities to start with Dolphin and Atto 3. Foreign media speculate that this might be due to the higher expected sales of Dolphin and Atto 3.
Li Ke also mentioned that it will take two to three years for the Hungarian factory's capacity ramp-up. After Dolphin and Atto 3, BYD plans to produce a third model in Europe, positioned between the two. Li Ke referred to it as 'Atto 2,' which is expected to be a revised version of the Atto 3 that was unveiled and launched in China earlier this year. This new car is significantly smaller than Atto 3 and features a more robust design style. Additionally, Seagull will become the fourth model to be produced at the factory.
Ultimately, the factory will be able to produce twelve different models concurrently. At that point, BYD will no longer import cars from China.
It is not easy for BYD to establish a strong presence in the European market. In 2024, the growth rate of electric car sales in Europe has slowed down. To address this challenge, BYD is expected to launch more plug-in hybrid models in the European market.
This October, Li Ke announced that in response to import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, BYD will produce most of the electric vehicles it sells locally in Europe. To this end, BYD is establishing a new supply chain in Europe, assembling battery packs in Hungary and Turkey, importing only battery cells from China.
