BYD Xi’an Joins Expanding Car Carrier Fleet as Automaker Boosts Global Exports

BYD has expanded its fleet of car carriers to six vessels as the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker intensifies efforts to boost its international presence.

The latest addition, the BYD Xi’an, was officially launched on April 2, the company announced. Meanwhile, BYD said the BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel, is preparing for its maiden voyage. The company did not disclose further details about the BYD Xi’an’s capacity but shared images of both vessels.

See also: BYD Targets 5.5 Million Vehicle Sales in 2025, Aims for 92% Overseas Growth

This marks the first time BYD has mentioned the BYD Xi’an, which is the sixth publicly known ship in its fleet and the fifth named after a city where it operates a vehicle production facility. Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, home to one of BYD’s largest manufacturing plants.

BYD’s car carrier expansion follows its growing export ambitions. The BYD Explorer No. 1, which has a 7,000-vehicle capacity, was the company’s first vessel, entering service in January 2024 under a charter agreement. BYD Hefei, launched in late 2024, was the first ship owned by BYD and also has a 7,000-vehicle capacity. It completed its maiden voyage to Europe in January with nearly 5,000 NEVs onboard.

Subsequent additions to the fleet include the BYD Changzhou, launched in October 2024, with a similar 7,000-vehicle capacity, and BYD Changsha, which was introduced last month. BYD Shenzhen, with a capacity of 9,200 vehicles, is the largest ro-ro car carrier globally and completed un-docking on January 15.

See also: BYD Expands Maritime Operations with New Car Carrier

BYD has been aggressively expanding overseas as domestic sales growth slows. The automaker, which has overtaken Tesla in global battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales for two consecutive quarters, is targeting 5.5 million vehicle sales in 2025, including more than 800,000 units in overseas markets, according to local media outlet LatePost.

That projection marks a 29% increase from BYD’s 2024 sales of 4.27 million vehicles, while its overseas target reflects a 92% jump from the 417,204 units sold abroad last year.