The electric mobility sector is starting to get really exciting now, as a lot of the firms that manufacture electric vehicles are starting to seriously ramp up production. This is a welcome development, as we really need to get electric vehicles to as many markets as soon as practically possible to help supercharge the transition away from fossil fuel powered vehicles.

One of the leading companies in the EV space is BYD. BYD sold just under 190,000 EVs in 2020. And in only two years, it managed to 10× this to over 1,863,494 vehicles last year. 10× in 2 years, how cool is that? In that time, BYD stopped making full ICE vehicles to focus only on battery electrics and plugin hybrids. Its plugin hybrids have also been upgraded with the new models — their “Super Hybrid” DM-i and DM-p models.

This year, BYD is planning to sell 3.6 million EVs, which is double the number of EVs it sold last year. This would be an incredible achievement should BYD manage it. To show how big a deal this would be if the company manages to achieve this, in 2020, just over 3 million EVs were sold worldwide from all automakers. Now, just two years later, BYD alone will smash this number by a huge margin.

Although the majority of these sales will be in BYD’s home market, a decent chunk of the sales are expected to come from its accelerated push to open up in new markets around the world. BYD has been on a roll announcing the entry into new markets on a seemingly weekly basis now. BYD has launched some of its new BEVs in several markets around the world, including India, Thailand, Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, and Singapore. You can even get select passenger and commercial vehicles from BYD in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and other places on the African continent. All of this recent expansion goes to show that a lot of planning has gone into this new aggressive export drive.

BYD has added yet another new market! BYD has launched the Tang SUV, Han flagship sedan, and the Yuan Plus in Mexico! It seems we get these announcements every week now.

Speaking at the launch, Zou Zhou, Country Manager of BYD Mexico, said, “To start the passenger vehicle business in Mexico is a dream BYD has been pursuing for years, and the dream has come true today.” Interestingly, BYD is continuing with the name Yuan Plus in Mexico, just as it is called in China, and not going with the name ATTO 3 which has been used in other markets, particularly in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and other Asian nations. This is probably because it is also called the Yuan Plus in Colombia and other places in South and Central America and the name was already known in that region from the previous ICE and hybrid versions.

The data sheet on BYD Mexico’s website shows two options for the Yuan Plus, the 49.92 kWh and 60.48 kWh versions (BYD Blade Battery) with 410 km and 480 km NEDC range, respectively. BYD also says that the Yuan Plus is a spacious C-segment SUV, combining modern aesthetics with exceptional intelligence and efficiency derived from pioneering electric vehicle technology and smart connectivity. It has been designed by Wolfgang Egger with the European customer in mind, providing a “stylish fun-inspired choice” complete with very high levels of standard equipment. Reports say the Yuan Plus will start from around $44,000.

BYD Yuan Plus interior.

The data sheet on BYD Mexico’s websites shows the Tang SUV AWD with a 86.4 kWh Blade Battery, 6.6 kW AC charging, and 110 kW DC charging. Reports say the Tang SUV will start from around $78,000.

BYD Blade Battery.

The data sheet on BYD Mexico’s website also show that the flagship Han sedan (AWD) has a 85,4kWh Blade Battery as well as 6.6kW AC and 110kW DC charging. The Han starts from around $76,000.

BYD also recently partnered with Banco Santander Mexico for vehicle financing. Through this strategic cooperation, BYD is enabled to provide local consumers with a full range of auto finance solutions. Specifically, this partnership seeks to facilitate access to all new energy BYD vehicles to customers and non-customers of the bank with an offer of a 10% down payment and financing of up to 72 months, in addition to plans with 0% commission for opening.

Zhou Zou, Country Manager of BYD Mexico, said, “Our strategic cooperation with Santander aims to provide local consumers with first-class auto finance services and solutions, and reduce the financial risks of dealers and customers, promoting the transformation to green mobility.”

“At Santander, we continue to seek new partnerships to make it easier for our customers to acquire vehicles. On this occasion, we are pleased to go hand in hand with BYD,” said Julio Ascorve Zermeño, CEO of Automotive Financing at Santander Mexico. “By financing these vehicles, we contribute to reducing emissions which gives us an important edge in line with our values of sustainability and commitment to the environment.”

So, we have seen two big launches from BYD this week. One in Spain and one in Mexico. I’m looking forward to finding out which markets are next on BYD’s radar. BYD is also looking to expand its passenger vehicle assembly and manufacturing footprint outside of China. Earlier this month, BYD started constructing a plant in Thailand that will produce 150,000 vehicles per year. There have been reports of discussions around setting up a factory in Brazil. Perhaps Mexico could be another market BYD can look into seriously and expedite setting up a plant there.

BYD currently offers the more affordable compact hatchback, the Dolphin, in select markets. The Dolphin was recently spotted testing in Australia, and hopefully it will go on sale there soon as well as in other markets in Europe.

Another small vehicle coming soon from BYD is the BYD Seagull. The BYD Seagull is expected to be priced close to $10,000 in China. This is a great price for a car with a 30 kWh battery, a 55 kW motor, and a top speed of 130 km/h. It will also have a 38 kWh version. It goes on sale in China later this month. It is these types of small affordable EVs that will accelerate the adoption of electric mobility around the world.

Images courtesy of BYD.

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• Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/04/02/byd-launches-the-tang-suv-han-flagship-sedan-yuan-plus-in-mexico/