BYD establishing UK research base for European expansion

BYD, a leading car manufacturer, plans to establish a research and development base in the UK as part of its expansion in Europe. Stella Li, BYD's executive vice-president, confirmed that the UK will be one of the company's top five countries for localization efforts. This means that local teams will help adapt future BYD models to the European market. Li stated that while the UK will have a research team, there are no current plans for a design studio focused on styling in the country. BYD already has a design studio in California and may open another in Europe, but not in the UK. Currently, BYD employs around 120,000 people worldwide and has launched five vehicle models in the UK since entering the market two years ago. Another two models are set to be introduced in the next six months. The company is expected to begin car production in its Hungarian factory by the end of this year, with plans to manufacture four to six different models there. BYD is also building a factory in Turkey, scheduled to start production in early 2026. There are discussions about a potential third factory, but reports about a plant in Germany have been dismissed as premature. As the sixth-largest car maker globally, BYD aims to become number one in the industry. The company produced 4.27 million vehicles last year, with half being electric cars and the other half plug-in hybrids. Additionally, BYD plans to launch its Denza models, which compete with Porsche, in Europe next month, along with its Yangwang models aimed at rivaling Ferrari.