BYD Orders Ten Car Carriers Worth Over $1 Billion as Fangchengbao Passes 600,000 Sales

BYD is spending more than $1 billion on ten additional car-transport vessels, a fleet expansion meant to loosen the shipping bottlenecks that have constrained its overseas deliveries. The new specialized ships will be handed over in stages between 2029 and 2031, part of a push to serve growing demand in foreign markets on its own terms rather than relying on third-party carriers.

The logistics build-out comes as the company's sales momentum at home remains uneven. September 2026 brought 463,561 deliveries, up 16.98% year on year — the strongest monthly showing of 2026 so far. Across the first nine months, however, worldwide sales slipped 3.9% to 3,131,576 units.

Its premium sub-brand Fangchengbao is providing much of the domestic thrust. Cumulative sales for the marque have now crossed 600,000 vehicles, with September deliveries reaching 43,181 — a 79% jump on the same month a year earlier. The milestone underscores how aggressively BYD is extending its lineup into higher-priced segments.

Fresh metal keeps arriving. On October 13 the company launched the Da Han electric sedan in China, with prices starting at 235,900 RMB. Rear-wheel-drive versions are rated at up to 1,008 kilometers of range on the CLTC Chinese test cycle. A day later, at the Paris Motor Show, BYD showed technology-focused premium models from its Denza brand, aimed squarely at wealthier buyers.

The Seagull is also due for renewal. According to media reports, the second generation of the all-electric compact launches in China on Tuesday, offered in three variants priced between 235,900 and 275,900 yuan, with range of up to 1,008 kilometers under CLTC.

Europe remains central to the strategy — and to its headaches. From January to August, BYD held a 2.5% share of new registrations across the EU, the UK and the EFTA states, Reuters reported. A China-EU agreement capping exports of Chinese hybrid vehicles at an annual quota of 350,000 units is expected to weigh on the business in the near term, though management says it does not alter the long-term direction.

The answer is to build where it sells. Executive Vice President Stella Li said on October 12 that BYD is scrutinizing a plant in France, which sits on the shortlist, alongside other possible European sites; no final investment decision has been made. The company also aims to add two more production facilities on the continent and to grow its European workforce to roughly 40,000 by 2030, from just under 10,000 in the near term.

Infrastructure is following the cars abroad. In Indonesia, BYD rolled out Flash Charging on October 14 alongside the Denza D9 and Z9GT, both using the second generation of its in-house Blade Battery. The system charges from 10% to 70% in five minutes, according to the company, and 100 charging stations are planned there by the end of 2026.

Investors have yet to buy into the story. The stock changed hands at EUR 8.31 on Tuesday, just 3.4% above its 52-week low; it closed last Friday at EUR 8.34 and is down 22% since the start of the year. Traders are watching how the hybrid export negotiations shape margins in the European business.