BYD launches four EV models in Jordan, eyes further expansion in Middle East
- BYD will work with local dealer Mobility Solutions Auto Trade Company to provide services and support to consumers in the Middle East
- Launch a milestone for carmaker, says BYD Middle East executive
The four models – the Dolphin compact car, the Tang sport-utility vehicle, the Atto 3, the first car BYD developed for the international market, and the Han sedan – made their debut in Jordan last weekend with support from local dealer Mobility Solutions Auto Trade Company (MSTC).
The carmaker, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, said on Tuesday that it would expand to other markets in the Middle East, as it believed its value-for-money battery-powered cars would be well received by consumers in the region.
“BYD has been aggressively honing its image as an international player since it clinched the title of the world’s largest EV maker,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “The Middle East is definitely a market it will explore in the coming years.”
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BYD did not reveal the prices of the vehicles on sale in Jordan.
The launch of the four models marked a milestone for the carmaker’s “in-depth integration” into the Middle East market, said Adam Peng, sales director of BYD Middle East. It will work with MSTC on sales, after-sales and maintenance to provide services and support to consumers in the Middle East.
Also last week, BYD signed an agreement with Octopus Electric Vehicles to sell 5,000 EVs to the UK car rental company over the next three years. The cars that Octopus will buy include the Atto 3, BYD said in a statement on Monday, just a week after it announced its foray into the UK market.
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Under its “Made in China 2025” strategy, Beijing wants the country’s top EV makers to generate 10 per cent of their sales overseas by 2025, although it did not specify which companies. Analysts said BYD is a top candidate for becoming a global EV powerhouse.
Founded by Chinese billionaire Wang Chuanfu in 1995, BYD has been making vehicles since 2003. It mainly sells cars in mainland China, but is looking to become a global player with plans to expand in some overseas markets.