BYD is celebrating a significant production milestone by becoming one of the first electric vehicle manufacturer globally to produce one million electric passenger cars. The one-millionth car, the Han EV, rolled off the production line today at BYD’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China.
BYD’s pioneering work in the development of battery technology and new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturing has led the new energy revolution in the global automotive industry since the company’s emergence in 2003. In 2004, BYD unveiled its all-electric concept car, the ET, at the Beijing Auto Show, marking the premiere debut of an NEV model. This was followed in 2008 when the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid NEV – the F3DM – was officially unveiled. Then, in 2020, the BYD Han was launched with performance specs setting twelve records globally and nine in China. The BYD Han continues to be a top-selling model in the mid-to-large luxury sedan sector.
BYD had invited ten of its NEV customers to attend the ceremony, including the owners of the 100,000th and the one-millionth vehicles to join BYD as it celebrates its work in helping move towards a better, more sustainable future. In the central square of BYD’s global headquarters, another eighty BYD car owners assembled their vehicles in a specially choreographed display forming the number ‘1,000,000’ to help celebrate the milestone.
Alongside news of the production of its one-millionth passenger car line, BYD has also confirmed its entry into the European market with the first 100 pure-electric BYD Tang SUVs on their way to Norway. The northern European country has been selected to kick off BYD’s journey towards a successful presence in the burgeoning NEVs market in Europe.
With Rolf Petter Almklov, Commercial Counsellor, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing, alongside Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD, the first batch of 100 Tang SUVs will be shipped at the end of May and delivered to local customers in Norway during the third quarter of this year. Also before the end of 2021, BYD plans to deliver a total of 1500 Tang SUVs to Norway, underlining a significant commitment from BYD to its new Scandinavian market and its European neighbours.
With decarbonisation high on the political agenda in Europe, BYD’s entry into the passenger car market comes at an important time. The BYD Tang EV provides serious competition for the more established European brands, with its stylish design and new technologies providing a compelling proposition for new car buyers. Central to its technology credentials is the new space-saving Blade Battery, with performance figures including a class-leading range of up to 505km (NEDC) and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 4.6-seconds from its 86.4 kWh capacity.
BYD describes its new business in Norway as the ‘start of the European dream’ with respect to its passenger car ambitions. A key differentiator for BYD is its commitment to bringing only pure-electric, 100% emissions-free cars to market – a strategy supported by BYD’s electric bus product range and its leading position in eBus markets right across Europe.