Top stories of BYD in 2019

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In 2019, Chinese automaker BYD saw its full-year auto sales slide 11.39% year on year with both NEV and oil-fueled vehicle businesses hit by decrease.

（Photo source: BYD's WeChat account)

Although the automaker failed to gain sales growth, it put forth great efforts to enrich its product lineup, beef up battery production capacity, cement outward cooperation and fortify overseas market expansion. Let's review the top stories of the leading Chinese NEV manufacturer in 2019.

BYD increases registered capital of BYD-Daimler NEV JV by RMB200 million

BYD Company Limited announced on February 1 that its board of directors agreed a proposal that allowed BYD Auto Industry Company Limited, its wholly-owned subsidiary, to inject an additional RMB 200 million as registered capital into Shenzhen DENZA New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd. (DENZA), a joint venture in partnership with Daimler.

BYD Auto Industry Company Limited's equity in DENZA would remain at 50% after the compleion of capital increase.

The BYD's subsidiary had added RMB500 million in DENZA as early as May, 2017, which was mainly used as operational capital for the joint venture in order to alleviated the pressure of extended cycle to receive subsidy over the DENZA's business operation caused by the adjustment of national new energy vehicle (NEV) subsidy policy.

2019 BYD Yuan EV360 goes on sale with prices starting at RMB89,900 after subsidy

The Yuan EV360 is a small-sized all-electric SUV launched by BYD in May, 2018. On March 9, its all-new version hit the market with 3 variants priced between RMB 89,900 and RMB109,900 after subsidy.

The new model measures 4,360mm long, 1,785mm wide and 1,690mm tall, the same as the outgoing model. Wheelbase for the all-new BEV is 2,535mm.

Configurators were upgraded over the older version. The entire model series comes standard with aluminum alloy rims, leather-covered seats, anti-lock braking system, automatic air-conditioner and tire pressure monitor system, etc. Besides, the mid-spec version carries such facilities as in-car infotainment system dubbed “CarPad”, panoramic sunroof, automotive backup camera, event data recorder and PM2.5 filter. The top-spec version boasts 360-degree holographic display, side curtain air bags as well as anti-pinch windows.

BYD takes wrap off all-new “e” series focusing on new smart mobility life

On March 21, Chinese automaker BYD officially launched the all-new "e" product series, which would be operated parallel with the "Dynasty" series.

There are three sedan models and two SUV models under the "e" series to be rolled out in 2019. Besides, the automaker will start to accept orders of the BYD e1, the first model for the new series, on April 1.

According to BYD's planning, the "e" series is positioned as a provider of smart BEVs, focusing on quality, cost performance and new intelligent mobility life, and the "Dynasty" matrix, designed to be a forward-looking leader for the BEV era, more highlights technology guidance, car performance and experience.

BYD partners with Huawei for ICV, autonomous driving, smart monorail

On March 25, BYD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei, a Chinese multinational provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices, to co-boost the innovation of automobile and rail transit, and digital transformation of automotive industry.

Under the agreement, both parties were ready to carry out in-depth exchange and cooperation in such areas as automobile intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, smart monorail and smart industrial park. Huawei would exercise its technology advantages in AI, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and big data to intelligentize and upgrade the mobility service industry and promote companies’ digital transformation by teaming up with BYD, who boasts rich technical resources of NEV and rail transit.

BYD E-SEED GT roadster concept makes world's debut at Auto Shanghai 2019

BYD brought the E-SEED GT Concept to the stage of the Auto Shanghai 2019. Reportedly, the new vehicle was expected to hit the market in 2020.

Adopting BYD's latest “Dragon Face 2.0” design language, the E-SEED GT boasts a rather sporty front face with an eye-catching U-shaped silver trim that penetrates into headlights. The unmistakable side bulges lower the visual center of gravity, accentuating the personality of a supercar with confident proportion.

Although the concept looks quite low, it accommodates four seats in two rows. Huge butterfly doors are pretty impressive when they are entirely opened.

BYD reports an EV fire incident while battery pack remains intact

BYD announced via its official Sina Weibo account that a BYD e5 car caught fire on April 24 in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. “After receiving the news, BYD dispatched staff members to the scene immediately. Through an initial investigation, we found out that the fire source is located at the trunk, while the battery pack at the bottom still remained intact. We will further investigate the incident in cooperation with relevant departments until get final results,” said the automaker.

The company also exposed the photos of the damaged car. In the comments, some netizens gave thumbs up to the unharmed battery pack after suffering a fire lasting half an hour.     

BYD to set up new energy PV base in Changzhou with expected annual capacity of 400,000 units

BYD inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Changzhou municipal government on April 25 to build a new energy passenger vehicle (PV) and core auto parts industrial park in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province.

The industrial park, located at Changzhou National Hi-Tech District, would involve a planned investment of RMB10 billion. After the program completes, it is expected to have an annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles and output a total value of over RMB50 billion per year.

The Changzhou base is designed to manufacture 10 models of BYD's “Dynasty” and “e” product series with segments ranging from mini-sized to large-sized vehicles. Besides, BYD also plans to establish a R&D center in this city.

Nobina increases BYD eBus orders to 138

Nobina, Sweden's and the Nordic region's largest bus operator, has added a further 20 eBuses to its growing intake of orders from world-leading electric bus manufacturer, BYD. Deliveries of the 18.0-metre articulated ‘K11’ eBus model would commence at the end of 2019, BYD announced on May 6.

Two separate deliveries of this latest BYD eBus order would be made, with four vehicles destined for the Barkarby district of Stockholm, and 16 for the city of Linköping.

BYD delivers 15 eBuses to Badajoz, Spain

In May, BYD delivered 15 pure electric 12-metre eBuses to Spain's southwest city of Badajoz – one of the largest eBus orders for BYD in the country.

Public transport operator, TUBASA (Transportes Urbanos de Badajoz, SA), part of Grupo Ruiz and one of Spain'sprincipal road passenger transport groups, had already put the vehicles into service. The zero emission BYD eBuses were delivered as fleet replacements for TUBASA and were already returning substantial savings when compared to the company'sprevious diesel-powered buses.

BYD says newly received RMB3.458 billion state's NEV subsidy helps improve cash flow

BYD said on May 22 that its subsidiary BYD Auto Industry Company Limited had received the state’s subsidy on new energy vehicle promotion amounting to RMB3.458 billion from Shenzhen Pingshan District Finance Bureau.

Of that, RMB3.126 billion and RMB332 million worth of funds were allocated to liquidate the subsidies that were supposed to be given in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

BYD said the newly-received state's NEV subsidy would help the company improve its cash flow, decrease the interest and financial expenses. Besides, it would also generate a positive effect on lowering the automaker's debt-to-assets ratio.

BYD delivers Argentina's first ever pure electric bus fleet

A fleet of 12 BYD K9 pure electric buses bound for the city of Mendoza, Argentina, arrived at the port of San Antonio in Chile on May 20. These electric buses represent the first fleet of its kind in Argentina, signifying a major milestone in the electrification of public transportation in the South American country.

This project, the result of combined efforts between the local government of Mendoza, Argentinian bus company Andesmar, local bus operator STM and BYD, is a cleaner and quieter transport alternative that also improves the quality of local transport services. The 12 electric buses arrived in the city of Mendoza on May 23 and would undergo a final check before entering into operation.

BYD begins construction of a new power battery base in Ningxiang, Hunan Province

BYD on May 28 launched the construction of its power battery production base at Ningxiang Hi-tech Zone in China’s Hunan Province.

Involving a total investment of RMB5 billion and covering an area of 640mu (around 426 thousand square meters), the first phase of the new base was expected to generate an annual sales of roughly RMB10 billion and offer 2,000 posts for local residents.

The Ningxiang factory was designed to manufacture such core products as power battery cells and modules, and also develop relevant supporting businesses.

BYD S2 all-electric SUV priced starting RMB89,800 after subsidy

BYD saw the all-electric SUV “S2” hit the market on June 17. Positioned below the models under BYD's Dynasty Series, the BYD S2 was offered in four variants with prices ranging between RMB89,800 and RMB109,800 after subsidy.

Powering the vehicle is a 70kW/180N·m permanent magnet motor paired with a 40.62kWh ternary-lithium battery pack. Using such powertrain, the vehicle features a combined NEDC-rated range of 305km and can run at a top speed of 101km/h. The vehicle is able to use fast charging mode to complete a charge within only 1.1 hours.

BYD to add another 183 pure electric buses to Chile's fleet

The Chilean Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt, announced in June a new order for 183 pure electric buses for the Chilean capital of Santiago, due to arrive in August of this year.

The 183 units of BYD pure electric buses would join the 100 electric buses that BYD and local partner Enel brought into Santiago last December, giving BYD a dominant share of more than 60% in the capital's promising electric bus market. They would be integrated during the last quarter into the existing Metbus fleet to operate the popular Avenida Grecia route, becoming the first route operated by only electric buses in Latin America. Metbus is also one of the largest pure electric bus fleet operators in the Americas.

BYD's “black crystal” global design hub completed on June 25

BYD held on June 25 a ceremony to celebrate the completion of its all-new global design hub in Shenzhen, the headquarters of the automaker. A design team led by three prominent designers--Wolfgang Egger, JuanMa Lopez and Michele Jauch-Paganetti would work at the new building.

According to local media outlets, the Shenzhen-based design center would output design works covering PVs, CVs as well as such rail transit solutions as SkyRail and SkyShuttle.

Wrapped by black glass, the new global design center looks like a huge black crystal. It seemed that the automaker want to use the most mysterious and inclusive color to express its eagerness to converge originality and inspiration of car design from the whole world, so as to trigger the powerful energy for exploring future traffic system design.

BYD, Toyota enter agreement to jointly develop battery electric vehicles

BYD and Toyota announced on July 19 that they had signed an agreement for the joint development of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The two parties would jointly develop sedans and low-floor SUVs as well as the onboard batteries for these vehicles and others with the aim to launch them in the Chinese market under the Toyota brand in the first half of the 2020s.

Going forward, BYD and Toyota would make use of the electrified vehicles, and battery development technologies they have acquired through their market introductions and would work together to further develop BEVs that are attractive to customers and in further promoting their widespread adoption.

BYD scheduled to spin off auto battery arm as independent listed company around 2022

BYD was scheduled to finish spinning off its automotive battery arm, which was ready to go public around 2020, the automaker revealed on August 7 in response to a netizen's question at a platform Shenzhen Stock Exchange sets up for the communication between investors and listed companies.

The spin-off of the battery business division and relevant preparation for going public were being steadily advanced for now, the automaker said.

"BYD is scheduled to spin off its battery division into a separate entity, which is expected to be listed by 2022," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, in an interview with Bloomberg News in December 2018.

The schedule for separating the automobile battery business would depend on the production and operating capability of the division, Wang added.

BYD enriches “e” lineup with e2 BEV hitting the market

BYD's all-new BEV model, the e2, hit the market on September 2 with its four trim levels priced from RMB89,800 to RMB119,800, further enriching the “e” lineup after BYD closing the first seven months with an outstanding growth in NEV sales.

The e2 was first seen that the Auto Shanghai 2019 in April and rolled off the production line at the Changsha plant in early June.

The BYD e2 retains BYD's signature “Dragon Face” design with an unmistakable massive grille flanked by slim headlights. On the upper edge of the grille, there is a blue nameplate with “BYD” lettering in the exact middle, which is different from the Chinese characters adopted for that of BYD's Dynasty Series.

BYD's first German order helps electrify Ruhr region

In September, BYD secured a big order to deliver 22 fully electric 12-meter eBuses in Germany. With the purchase of these eBuses, Bogestra and HCR would make a significant contribution to the electrification of public transport and the improvement of air quality in the Ruhr Metropolitan Region. It was BYD's first order for zero emission buses in Germany.

The order for 22 new and 100% electric buses was part of many successes in BYD's long history of public transport electrification. The first electric buses will arrive in the summer of 2020 and run on route 354 in Bochum, route 380 in Gelsenkirchen, and in Herne.

BYD, property developer Vanke to co-invest in tech & logistics fund

BYD announced on October 8 its cooperation with China Vanke Co.,Ltd, a leading property developer in China, for a joint investment in a technology and logistics fund.

According to the announcement, BYD Auto Industry Company Limited, a subsidiary of BYD, entered into an agreement with Chengdu Vanke Real Estate Co., Ltd. and a Tianjin-based investment management service provider to co-invest in a limited partnership fund.

In this transaction, BYD's and Vanke's subsidiaries would act as the fund's limited partners.

BYD said the fund is to earn long-term investment returns for its partners through acquisition, possession and disposal of invested projects.

BYD puts e series' fourth model “e3” onto the market

On October 24, the fourth model of BYD's e series, the BYD e3, officially hit the market following the e1, the S2 and the e2. Offered in three variants, the new BEV model is priced between RMB103,800 and RMB119,800 after green-car subsidies.

The e3, positioned as an economic all-electric sedan, is built on BYD “e” platform. At the first glance of the car, you will notice its much resemblance to the e2, whereas the e2 is a hatchback instead of a sedan.

Thanks to the lightweight body design and the coupe-level drag coefficient of 0.28Cd, the e3 is able to sprint from 0 to 50km/h within only 3.9 seconds.

BYD, Toyota agree to establish joint company for BEV R&D

BYD Company Ltd. (BYD) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced on November 7 that they had signed an agreement to establish a joint company to research and development for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The new R&D company, which would work on designing and developing BEVs (including platform) and its related parts, was anticipated to be established in China in 2020, with BYD and Toyota to evenly share 50% of the total capital needed. Additionally, BYD and Toyota planned to staff the new company by transferring engineers and the jobs currently involved in related R&D from their respective companies.

BYD announces badge of all-new series “Han”

In November, BYD, the automaker which names its mainstay models after ancient Chinese dynasties, announced the badge of its all-new model series dubbed “Han”, joining a string of “Dynasty” series that has already contained “Qin”, “Tang”, “Song” and “Yuan”.

The simplified Chinese character “Han” on the badge is written in the elegant “small seal” script that fostered the sharing of culture and literature from the Qin to the end of Western Han Dynasty. The format integrating both traditional and modern elements embodies BYD’s wish to pass on achievements from old days and create a better future with the “Han” as a new outset.

BYD simultaneously sets up three subsidiaries

BYD established three subsidiaries in late December, each of which has a registered capital of RMB100 million, according to Qichacha, an information inquiry platform about China-based companies.

They, whose names have the same part—Fudi (弗迪)— in Chinese, were built to work on developing mould, automotive technologies and power tech respectively.

Wang Chuanfu, founder and chairman of BYD, said publicly that the Shenzhen-based company will become a standard provider of hardware platform for intelligent vehicles. He also indicated that the company would be significantly restructured to break through the boundaries among different business units. In the future, each business division of BYD would operate independently or even go public separately, he said.