From Shenzhen to Bremen, Sino-German auto cooperation takes new steps
SHENZHEN, May 2, (Xinhua): A ro-ro ship under the name “BYD EXPLORER NO.1,” first of BYD’s “shipping fleet” with another seven transport ships under construction, set sail from Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, and arrived at the port of Bremerhaven, Germany, in late February.
More than 3,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) manufactured by the Chinese NEV giant were unloaded.
BYD EXPLORER NO.1 is the epitome of the rapid development of China’s auto industry and the continuous advancement of globalization in recent years, and it is also a portrayal of the advanced cooperation between China and Germany in automobiles.
For a long time, China has been the world’s largest auto market for German auto companies such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as well as an important global production and research and development (R&D) base. In recent years, Chinese cars have developed rapidly with electrification, constantly enriching global supply and expanding cooperation in Sino-German auto industry.
On Aug. 1, 2022, BYD announced a partnership with Hedin Mobility, a leading European dealership group, successfully introducing multiple NEV models into Germany, marking a promising start to localized operations. As of now, BYD has established stores in 23 cities across Germany, where consumers can test drive and purchase vehicles in cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Cologne.
Furthermore, BYD has signed cooperation agreements with SIXT, a leading German car rental company, which will procure at least 100,000 new energy vehicles from BYD in six years.
Additionally, BYD inked a global strategic cooperation agreement with Shell to jointly enhance the charging experience for BYD’s European users.
According to Motor1.com, an automobile news website in Europe, there was a major change in the European auto market in 2023 as a result of the rise of Chinese auto brands.
On the basis of 23 Chinese car brands, the year 2023 saw another seven new brands enter the European market. Chinese brand cars registered in Europe reached 322,000, an increase of 79 percent, and its market share reached a record 2.6 percent.
A BYD spokesperson said that the company’s performance in the German market is steadily improving, receiving positive affirmation from local mainstream media regarding product innovation design.