Chinese BYD expands into Zambia in partnership with PEM (Pilatus Electric Mobility Zambia Limited). The BYD Zambia showroom is scheduled to launch on September 5, 2024.
BYD will be selling three models in the country: the Dolphin, a sedan with a 420 km range; the ATTO 3, an SUV with a 420 km range; and the SEAL, with a 570 km range.
Before the September showroom launch, BYD has been training a team to assist customers after they purchase their EVs.
BYD is China’s best-selling automaker and brand. In December 2023, sales increased by 45%, bringing the year’s total to 3,024,417 vehicles, up 61.9% from the previous year. In August 2024 alone, it announced achieving total monthly sales of 373,083 New Energy Vehicles.
This is not the first time the Chinese EV company has expanded into Africa. In January 2024, BYD announced its expansion into Rwanda. This came two years after it entered Kenya, another East African nation.
Moreover, in July 2023, BYD entered the South African market, introducing the Standard Range and Extended Range variants of its ATTO 3 model.
In addition to its expansion into Africa, BYD has been partnering with local EV companies, including BasiGo and Ampersand.
African EV companies uses BYD buses
BasiGo, an EV company in Africa, uses BYD buses. In March 2023, Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA), an automobile company, announced it would assemble 130 electric vehicles in Kenya from BYD.
In June 2024, Kigali-based electric vehicle (EV) company Ampersand partnered with BYD to enhance electric motorbike development and deployment, where Ampersand will purchase batteries from BYD to build around 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026.
On the expansion into Zambia, Tue Nyboe Andersen, Executive Director of BYD, stated, “I started the journey of bringing BYD to Zambia four years ago, together with my wife Angelika, and with the encouragement of my father-in-law Joe Huwiler from Pilatus.
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“We have created PEM, Pilatus Electric Mobility Zambia Limited, which is the electric mobility arm of Pilatus Engineering. It was a great experience to see my first BYD vehicle, and it fueled me with further excitement and determination to bring BYD to Zambia.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is China’s BYD?
BYD Company Limited or BYD (Chinese: 比亚迪; pinyin: Bǐyàdí). It’s a publicly listed Chinese multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Are BYD cars available in the US?
BYD hasn’t sold any passenger cars in the U.S. BYD has said it has no plans to sell vehicles such as its Tesla-styled Han EV sedan in the states.
What does BYD mean in Chinese?
BYD was originally named Yadi Electronics (at that time, to facilitate the company registration process more quickly. Founded in Yadi Village, Shenzhen City, China.
What does BYD really stand for?
BYD, which stands for ‘Build Your Dreams’. Specializes in battery technology and claims its Blade battery sets new benchmarks for battery safety, energy density, and space utilization.
Is BYD owned by Mercedes?
Denza may not be a household name in the United States. But in China it’s better known as BYD’s luxury brand. It’s one that counts Mercedes-Benz as one of its two owners, with the brand having been set up as a joint venture back in 2012.
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