Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Carmaker BYD announced in early February its fully electric compact SUV, the Atto 2, would soon arrive in Europe and the UK. At the time, the company did not disclose pricing details for the EV model, which is currently manufactured in China but is expected to be produced in Europe in the future.
Citing the director of BYD’s sales network in France, Reuters reported on Tuesday that the compact SUV will have a starting price of 28,990 euros ($30,360) in France.
BYD said earlier this month that sales would start “in the coming weeks.” According to the brand’s executive VP Stella Li, Atto 2 combines “BYD’s advantages in battery technology and vehicle architecture” and a “compact design suited for urban SUV needs”.
“A comprehensive roll-out across all of Europe will then follow during 2025, with pricing to be confirmed by individual countries,” BYD said in a recent statement.
Founded in 1995, BYD is building its first European passenger car factory in Hungary, the company announced in December 2023, after having expanded to the Hungarian market two months earlier.
The production is expected to start later this year. The company is the first Chinese carmaker to produce locally, avoiding the extra duties announced by the European Commission late last year.
In the UK, BYD started sales two years ago and saw its annual figures reach over 8,700 in 2024 — up 658% from 2023. Last month, the brand sold 1,614 plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles in the country.
Global Expansion
Besides Europe, BYD has expanded production to Southeast Asia and South America. The Shenzhen-based firm inaugurated its first plant in Thailand in July 2023.
The construction of the new plant in Brazil started in early 2024 in an industrial complex previously owned by Ford. It is set to include three factories and is projected to have an initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles annually.
The automaker is also building a NEV plant and a research and development (R&D) center in Turkey, with investment reaching $1 billion and production expected to start late next year.
BYD’s Global Sales
BYD sold about 4.27 million vehicles in 2024, a 41.26% increase from 2023. In January, sales stood at 300,000 vehicles, up 47.5% year over year. Sales of passenger vehicles outside of China reached a record of 66,336 units, nearly doubling from January 2024.
