China’s EV Powerhouse BYD Accelerates Into Europe’s Heartland

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BYD’s ultimate goal is to claim a place in Europe’s automotive hierarchy, planting the flag of a Chinese carmaker alongside Volkswagen AG, Fiat-Jeep-Peugeot owner Stellantis, and Japanese and South Korean manufacturers that have spent decades building their presence. Getting there would advance Beijing’s broader strategy to dominate key manufacturing sectors, including electric vehicles, robotics, and clean energy, and signal China’s arrival at the center of the 21st-century auto business.

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“We want to bring the technology here, build a very strong after-sales service here, and then work with local partners to really merge us into part of a society, community here,” Li said. 

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BYD has chosen a good time to go on the offensive. Elon Musk’s political entanglements dented Tesla’s image in Europe, with recent sales figures showing a marked decline. Stellantis, meanwhile, is just starting to reckon with a drop in sales after the tightfisted reign of former Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares. Renault SA just lost talented CEO Luca De Meo, who revived the carmaker but is swapping autos for luxury at Gucci owner Kering SA.

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The results are starting to show, with BYD generating growth rates of 200% or more through April in each of the five biggest European markets — Germany, the UK, France, Spain, and Italy, where BYD sold barely 200 cars in the first four months of 2024.

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The company has had its biggest success in the UK. After selling just 1,611 cars through April 2024, BYD blitzed the market, signing up dealers and adding plug-in hybrid models to its repertoire. For the same period in 2025, sales had jumped to nearly 12,000 vehicles, according to Dataforce. At that pace, BYD is on track to leapfrog Fiat, Honda Motor Co. and BMW AG’s Mini — brands long entrenched in British driveways.

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Bob Dalgliesh, a 50-year-old cybersecurity specialist from Lothian, Scotland, chose the BYD Seal U as his third plug-in hybrid through a company-car plan. The mid-sized SUV, which also comes fully electric, is aimed at families seeking space, tech and range at a lower price point. Though he typically prefers a European brand, it was £6,000 ($8,070) cheaper than an Audi A3 hybrid, he said, had more space and overall range and arrived from China in just two months.

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“The clincher is that the Seal U offers all the add-ons — cruise control, 360 camera, head-up display — that other manufacturers would usually nickel and dime you for,” Dalgliesh said by phone. “So it ends up being just a choice of engine size and battery.”

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At the center of BYD’s European charge is Li, who is based in China but visits Europe nearly every month. The executive acts as BYD’s chief evangelist — pitching to skeptical dealers, rallying local teams, and signaling that BYD is here for the long haul.

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Colleagues describe her as relentless, obsessing over details such as lighting, signage and the spacing of vehicles on display. The preferred footprint for a BYD showroom in Europe is around 120 square meters (1,290 square feet), just enough to show off the company’s seven-model lineup without crowding the floor.

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Li was based in Chicago in the 1990s, where she cut her teeth persuading US electronics firms like Motorola to switch to BYD batteries — its original business — from Japanese suppliers when few trusted Chinese tech manufacturing. It was a formative experience, battling for credibility and building trust for an underdog brand.