BYD to build UK research and development base as part of European expansion

Localisation work will be carried out in the UK says BYD boss Stella Li, with factories in Hungary and Turkey

Chinese brand BYD has confirmed that it plans to build a UK research and development base (BYD)

Future BYD models will all have a British flavour, according to BYD executive vice-president Stella Li.

Speaking to The Independent at the launch of BYD’s new Sealion 7 all-electric SUV, Li said, “In our top five countries, we will have local R&D teams to do a lot of localisation work. And then our centre will still be in Hungary.”

Asked whether the UK is one of BYD’s top five countries, Li responded, “Yeah, for sure – you’re one of the top five. There will be a UK base for R&D, yes.”

However, Li did admit that there were no plans for a UK design base to work on the future styling of BYD models. “Outside China we have a design studio in California, Pasadena, then we may plan to have another design centre in Europe, but not in the UK.”

BYD’s Stella Li has confirmed a UK research and development base (BYD)

A UK research and development team would join 120,000 other BYD employees working on the engineering of future BYD models, with the company having already launched five models in its first two years in the UK and another two to come in the next six months.

BYD’s factory in Hungary is expected to start producing cars towards the end of this year, with Li confirming that four to six models would be built there. It’s understood that the new plant will have a capacity to produce up to 300,000 cars per year in Hungary.

But BYD isn’t stopping there. A second factory in Turkey is expected to start production in early 2026, while a third factory hasn’t been ruled out, although Li said that reports of BYD building cars in Germany were premature.

BYD is currently the world’s sixth biggest car maker, with plans to become number one. It’s already ahead of Tesla in the race to be the biggest producer of electric cars, with half of last year’s 4.27 million cars all electric and the other half plug-in hybrid models.

As well as its BYD brand, the company will be launching its Porsche-rivalling Denza models in Europe next month, while its Ferrari-rivalling Yangwang cars are also expected to be coming to Europe soon.