Chinese electric car maker BYD aims for Europe boost

Paris, France (AFP) March 20 - Chinese carmaker BYD on Thursday vowed to conquer Europe with a new compact electric model and super-fast charging capability to rival continental brands.

"You will see, starting from March or April, our registration numbers will jump" in Europe, company vice-president Stella Li told AFP in an interview at a showroom in Paris.

"This year, BYD sales in the whole of Europe will start increasing."

The group has launched major advertising campaigns including sponsorship of last year's European Championships in football and has opened numerous new showrooms across the continent.

It plans to launch its small format Seagull, to be renamed the Dolphin Surf in Europe -- a rival to the Renault 5 and Citroen C3 -- around the middle of the year, Li said.

A BYD Plus DM-i electric vehicle is seen on display at a showroom in the Jing'an district of Shanghai on March 11, 2025. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

In China this week it unveiled a new charging system that it says will allow drivers 470 kilometres (nearly 300 miles) of battery life after charging for just five minutes -- four times faster than the best systems currently on the market.

"It is really as fast as refuelling a petrol car," Li said. "We are... preparing to bring this kind of cutting-edge technology to Europe in the next few years."

BYD said it doubled its exports in the first two months of 2025 from a year earlier, to 130,000 vehicles. It sold 4.2 million worldwide in 2024, making it the globe's sixth-biggest car firm.

A photo shows a logo of Chinese electric and hybrid automotive manufacturer BYD on a car in a BYD dealership in Paris, on March 20, 2025. This week, BYD unveiled a new charging system that allows cars to recover up to 470 kilometers of range after being plugged in for just five minutes, four times faster than the most efficient electric cars on the market. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

The European Union has imposed a 17-percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles to make up for Chinese state subsidies.

EU restrictions "will not change BYD's plan because BYD is like a long-term player", Li insisted.

EU authorities are also reportedly investigating BYD's first European factory, in Hungary, where electric car production is scheduled to start late this year.

"We will be very transparent, very open, working with anybody who wants to do an investigation," Li said.