BYD reaches a milestone in the manufacture of plug-in vehicles: it has already produced 14 million units

Brands are blaming the lack of electric car sales, but they are producing other types of battery-powered vehicles. Electric vehicles are growing, though not as fast as expected, while plug-in hybrid vehicles are growing as sales of pure electric cars decline. And the company BYD is growing considerably in this regard, achieving a milestone that surprises the industry.

The Chinese brand, which is also present in the European market with great success, has reached the milestone of manufacturing 14 million of this type of vehicle. These are vehicles both battery electric and plug-in hybrid, which need to be connected to a charger to have energy in the battery. The car that had the honour of being the 14 millionth plug-in car to leave the brand’s production plants is a BYD SONG PRO.

It rolled off the Camaçari plant in Brazil, and it is not just a standard plug-in hybrid car, but also has a particular feature that makes it a rather special vehicle. Its combustion engine is, moreover, compatible with biofuels. This technology is being introduced in the Brazilian market as a first.

The car will be handed over to the upcoming UN climate summit in the country as a courtesy vehicle, so it will make a debut that places it at the centre of media attention. The Camaçari plant has just opened and will build the BYD SONG PRO, which will feature the plug-in hybrid drivetrain used by the models intended for the European market, such as the SEAL U DM-i, the SEAL 6 DM-i and the SEAL 6 DM-i Touring.

This system provides primarily electric traction, with the combustion engine working to generate energy and store it in the battery. Even when operating in hybrid mode, it continues to generate energy for the battery. The biofuel-compatible engine is designed for the Brazilian market, although it may reach international markets in a short time.

This engine was born thanks to a visit by the BYD executives to Brazil, where they saw the potential of ethanol as an automotive fuel. This led to the start of development of the engine used by this model, which, although it is destined for the Brazilian market first, will also be launched in other markets where biofuel is an option.