BYD has announced that it has finalised an agreement to land in Bahia and will build three factories simultaneously in the Camaçari complex, 50 km from Salvador. This initial investment will be around an investment of more than R$3 billion ($620 million).
The complex will consist of three manufacturing units. One of the units will be dedicated to the production of chassis for electric buses and trucks. The second unit will produce hybrid and electric cars, with an estimated capacity of 150,000 units per year in the first phase. The third one will be focused on lithium and iron phosphate processing. Then this unit will serve the global market, leveraging on the existing port infrastructure at the location.
“This is an extremely important moment for BYD in the Americas,” says Stella Li, Executive Vice President CEO of BYD and CEO of BYD Americas. “These new factories in Bahia will bring innovation and the highest standards in technology, this will allow the introduction and acceleration of electromobility in the country, a key movement to combat climate change and really improve people’s quality of life.”
The three plants will start operations in the second half of 2024, and will generate more than 5,000 jobs over the next several years. “The social contribution will be significant. We want to hire local labour starting this year so that they can begin receiving all the necessary training and knowledge transfer,” says Tyler Li, President of BYD Brazil. “At BYD, we are strongly committed to contributing and generating value for Brazilians.”
BYD says the new complex will attract suppliers of various types, whether in the technical parts or services sectors. The company intends to contribute to regional development by giving priority to local suppliers. For civil construction works, the company will also prioritize hiring established companies in the region. The production of EVs locally will help avail EVs at lower prices and also support the wider economy.
Its great to see BYD moving to produce its electric vehicles in Brazil. This follows the company’s move to build another 150,000-units-per-year plant in Thailand. It has also been reported that BYD is seeking to build plants in Europe. This got me thinking. BYD recently launched the Atto 3 in South Africa, and BYD is launching in Morocco. These are already two of the largest auto manufacturing hubs in Africa. It would be great to have BYD also open plants with at least 150,000 units production capacity in South Africa and Morocco in the near future. This will help lower the costs of vehicles for people on the African continent as well as create much needed employment opportunities whilst supporting the wider economy.
Companies like BYD will help take more affordable markets to the world, and if they are made closer to the source markets, they will open up a lot of opportunities in those markets and help more people transition to electric. One of these more affordable models is the BYD Dolphin, which is now finding its way to more markets around the world, including Brazil where it was launched recently.
Images courtesy of BYD
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