A BYD Da Tang EV on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost.
- BYD is recruiting more than 8,000 workers across multiple facilities at its Xi’an production base.
- The production hub is BYD’s largest, with annual capacity of 1.5 million vehicles.
BYD (HKEX: 1211) is hiring thousands of workers at its largest manufacturing hub, signaling that the world’s biggest new energy vehicle (NEV) maker is ramping up production following upgrades to its assembly lines.
Several local agencies, including the Xi’an Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, recently posted recruitment notices for BYD’s Xi’an operations on social media.
Multiple BYD plants in Xi’an are recruiting simultaneously across several business divisions, seeking more than 8,000 workers and offering signing bonuses of up to 6,000 yuan ($889).
The openings extend beyond general factory workers, with skilled positions in welding, painting and final assembly accounting for a substantial share. Monthly pay reaches as high as 10,000 yuan.
BYD’s recruitment of skilled production workers indicates that output at the hub is ramping up rapidly, Yicai reported on Monday, citing Feng Lei, head of the industrial research institute at market research firm HSMAP.
BYD has planned 4 phases of factory development in Xi’an, with combined annual capacity of up to 1.5 million vehicles, making it the company’s largest manufacturing hub by output. Production there exceeded 1 million vehicles in 2024, the report noted.
In the first half of this year, the switch to second-generation Blade Battery and production line upgrades constrained output of several models. The hub temporarily reduced its workforce, with some employees transferred to expanding operations in Zhengzhou, Hefei and the Shenzhen-Shanwei cooperation zone.
All 4 factory sites in Xi’an have now resumed normal production schedules. The recovery, coupled with a surge in export orders, has brought labor shortages to the fore, Feng said.
Regional data underscore the turnaround. Vehicle production in Shaanxi province fell nearly 50% year-on-year in the first 7 months of this year.
In August, the province produced 138,900 vehicles, up 55.4% from July and 17.9% from a year earlier, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
BYD sold 440,293 NEVs in August, up 17.8% year-on-year and its highest monthly total this year.
The company’s overseas sales rose 134.5% year-on-year to a record 189,466 vehicles in August, while domestic sales fell 14.3%.
The Xi’an hub produces high-volume models from BYD’s Dynasty and Ocean lineups, as well as some of its premium brands.
Production could return to its previous peak, Feng said. But while export models have full production schedules, those targeting the domestic market still face intense competition, making a return to peak annual output challenging.
BYD will need 4 European plants over the long term to support its sales targets and comply with EU regulations, its regional adviser said.
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