Chinese automaker BYD, supported by Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett’s company), will begin selling vehicles in the UK this quarter.
The company has chosen four UK dealer partners, Pendragon, Arnold Clark, Lookers and LSH, to sell its debut model, the Atto 3 SUV. Further dealer partners and pricing information will be announced in the near future.
Last year, BYD began expanding in Europe and plans to introduce the Tang EV, Han EV and Atto 3 in the region. Despite the UK being a significant car market in Europe, automakers have faced difficulties in increasing sales since the outbreak of the pandemic, resulting in registrations reaching a 30-year low in 2022.
However, Electric Vehicles (EVs) have seen positive growth, with battery-electric models accounting for about 17% of deliveries in 2021, surpassing diesel for the first time. BYD, based in Shenzhen, has already entered markets in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
BYD, which has been expanding into other markets around Asia such as Thailand and Australia, has the potential to surpass Tesla in global electric vehicle (EV) sales this year by expanding its model offerings and production capacity, according to BloombergNEF.
In 2022, BYD sells 1,863,494 units NEVs in 2022, up 208.64% from 2021. Among these sales, passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up a significant portion, with 911,140 units sold, accounting for 48.9% of BYD’s total NEV sales for the year and representing a 184.01% increase from the 320,810 units sold in the same period the previous year.
