BYD is also reportedly planning to build a battery materials factory in Chile. Other carmakers are also flirting with production in Brazil, such as Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor (GWM), which plans to open an EV factory in the Brazilian state of São Paulo next year.
Brazilian battery manufacturer Moura, fuel-cell producer Electrocell, and a consortium formed by Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM) and Japanese Toshiba, also plan to establish a presence in the segment.
BYD has officially started construction of its new production facilities in Brazil. On a former Ford industrial site in the Brazilian state of Bahia, BYD is reportedly building a plant for electric and hybrid cars, one for chassis for e-buses and trucks, and a third to process lithium and iron phosphate for the international market.
An annual production capacity of 150,000 electric and hybrid cars is initially planned, which can later be doubled to 300,000 vehicles. BYD is investing three billion Brazilian reals, the equivalent of around 570 million euros, in the conversion of the site in the Camaçari industrial park in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
Other carmakers are also flirting with production in Brazil, such as Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor (GWM), which plans to open an EV factory in the Brazilian state of São Paulo next year. VW, too, announced this week an investment of one billion euros by 2026 for a product offensive in South America – especially in Brazil.
Predictions for 2030 indicate the electric vehicle fleet will range from 130 million to 250 million units, depending on the scenario. In Brazil, the number of electric and hybrid vehicles reached 10,600 units in 2018, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA).