BYD’s Brazil plant celebrated reaching 100,000 locally produced NEVs. Credit: BYD
- BYD’s passenger vehicle plant in Brazil began production on July 1, 2025, with planned annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles in its first phase.
- BYD aims to become Brazil’s best-selling auto brand by 2030.
BYD (HKEX: 1211) has rolled out the 100,000th new energy vehicle (NEV) at its plant in Brazil, marking a new milestone in the Chinese NEV maker’s localization efforts in South America.
The milestone vehicle, a BYD Seagull, rolled off the production line on July 16 local time, according to a statement by the company on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the plant’s workforce has surpassed 5,500 employees, as BYD accelerates capacity expansion and local job creation, the company said.
The Seagull is renamed the Dolphin Mini in Brazil and Mexico. In Europe, the model is sold as the Dolphin Surf.
BYD is working to turn the Camacari plant into a modern new-energy industrial base designed for the future, said Li Tie, general manager of the company’s Brazilian subsidiary.
The company will continue to ramp up capacity and improve its local supply chain while creating high-quality local jobs and supporting Brazil’s transition to greener transportation, Li said.
The plant, located in Camacari in the state of Bahia, officially began production on July 1, 2025, with a total investment of 5.5 billion reais ($1 billion).
The first phase has planned annual capacity of 150,000 NEVs, with the Seagull being the first model produced there.
As its international expansion continues, BYD has increasingly chosen overseas plants to mark major production milestones.
On October 9, 2025, BYD’s 14 millionth NEV globally rolled off the production line at the Brazil plant. The vehicle, a Song Pro, was presented to Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
BYD is continuing to deepen localized production in Brazil. Last month, BYD Brazil senior vice president Alexandre Baldy told Reuters that the company aims to raise the localization rate of its Brazilian-made vehicles to 50% by early 2027.
“We are localizing,” Baldy said, “so that we can truly become a Brazilian manufacturer. The battery is one more item, an important component.”
BYD aims to become Brazil’s best-selling auto brand by 2030. The company has already entered the country’s top 5 auto brands.
As competition in its home market intensifies, overseas operations are becoming increasingly important to the Shenzhen-based automaker.
BYD had originally set a target of selling 1.3 million vehicles in overseas markets in 2026, but raised that target to 1.5 million in March.
BYD aims to raise the local content of its Brazil-made cars to 50% by the start of 2027.
