The Chinese car manufacturer BYD is doing very well, thank you for him. Despite the geopolitical tensions growing relationships between China and other important markets, the brand has a string of record quarters. And it's not for nothing: BYD has ousted Volkswagen of its first place in China while it also rivals Tesla as the best-selling electric brand in the world – even if the brand also offers internal combustion engines. As it stands, BYD therefore does not seem to encounter any obstacles to its growth.
In 27e position
For BYD, business is also good in Belgium. The year is not over yet, but forecasts are for 2,600 vehicles sold last year, four times better than the previous year. This performance places BYD in 27e position in the ranking of best automobile sales, according to FEBIAC figures. Certainly, BYD is still unable to reach and surpass the 26e pretender, Cupra and its 3,000 cars sold. But for a brand that has only been around for two years on our territory, it is the underlying trend which is revealing and not the raw numbers.
The situation in any case boosts the morale of the new boss of BYD in Belgium, Joris Claviewho took office last June. During the last press conference of the year, he suggested that his brand aspired to enter the top 10 automobile brands. A hell of a challenge since BYD is not alone in having this objective. Ironically, there is also Tesla. But when? Joris Clavie does not wish to give a date, dropping at most a “ within a few years “. But the will is there: there is no question for BYD of remaining a second-rate player.
Advertisement – continue reading below
Double the number of concessions
Naturally, there are no goals without strategy. And, precisely, what is BYD’s for Belgium? First element of answer: the brand is currently distributed by the independent importer Toyota Inchcape and it is therefore a question of working at dealer network. There is no question here of taking any exclusive online sales option with the Chinese, as Polestar has done. The brand wants to be physically present in showrooms and will therefore extend its current dealer network to eighteen, even twenty. That's double its current coverage. Whether online sales are possible or not, Belgians always want to have a dealership nearby, both for sales and service. BYD is also convinced of this. And it is a strategy that is already being verified since we must remember that the other strong Chinese player in the market, MGis distributed through the dealership network ofPrimer. Physical contact therefore remains essential.
Furthermore, BYD's other card is the products which will also constitute levers powerful in showrooms. At the next Brussels Motor Show, the spotlight will be on theAct 2the compact SUV that occupies the vacant space between the base model, the Dolphinand his little brother Act 3. This will be the sixth model (already) offered by the brand. This newcomer aims to attract customers with a reduced weight (1,500 kg), a versatile interior and an autonomy of 312 km which indicates the installation of a battery of more reliable capacity, which will also have an impact on the price… which is not yet known.
For 2025, BYD will continue to establish its fameparticularly among leasing companies who clearly still need to be convinced. It should be noted in this regard that if other brands encounter leasing problems due to residual values which are collapsing, this is not the case for BYD which manages to roughly maintain the values of its models. This is also explained by the fact that BYD is one of the only manufacturers to produce its own batteries, a fact which reinforces confidence on the second-hand market. The fact that the pack “ Blade Battery » uses the chemistry LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) renowned more resistant degradation would also work in BYD’s favor. The year 2025 will therefore be pivotal for BYD and in the good sense of the term since the customs duties lifted should be canceled for part of the production thanks to theHungarian factory under construction.
Looking for a car? Search, find and buy the best model on Gocar.be
