BYD Refutes Driver-Assist Shutdown Talk, Warns of Recall Scams as Piper Sandler Cuts Target

BYD has moved to quash online speculation that it is winding down its in-house driver-assistance programme, insisting it remains fully committed to developing the technology itself. The denial came midweek, two days before the stock closed 1.7% higher at €8.54 on Friday, riding a broader recovery across Hong Kong-listed automakers.

The company rejected claims that production of its God's Eye C assistance system had stopped, and pushed back against talk that it would swap its own intelligent-driving solutions for those of an outside supplier. No third-party replacement is planned, according to the rebuttal.

Brokerage trims valuation

Piper Sandler cut its price target on BYD's H-shares to HK$74 from HK$95, keeping a neutral rating on the stock. The reduction coincided with weakness in the share price that day.

The cautious brokerage stance lands alongside a sales picture that is still expanding but at a slower clip. BYD reported roughly 490,000 new-energy vehicle sales for October, based on its own unaudited figures. Reuters put year-on-year growth at 11%, down from 17% in September, citing soft demand at home and fierce price competition as drags. Exports told a different story: overseas shipments jumped 102.8% to about 170,000 units, far outpacing the overall total.

For the January-to-October stretch, BYD moved around 3.6 million vehicles — a 2.16% decline from the same period a year earlier.

Fresh metal for China and the Gulf

Product activity has been brisk. On Thursday the carmaker launched the second-generation Seal 07 in China, offered both as a battery-electric model and as a plug-in hybrid. The pure-electric version is rated at 775 kilometres of range under China's CLTC cycle and features BYD's Flash Charging; trade-in prices start at RMB 135,900 and run to RMB 168,900 across the line-up.

A day earlier, the group's Yangwang marque unveiled the Altior electric sedan in Abu Dhabi. Pre-orders for a limited edition opened at RMB 2.08 million, adding another model to the portfolio on the heels of the Seal 07's domestic debut.

Scam alert for owners

Separately, BYD warned Chinese vehicle owners about fraudulent recall notices circulating via media reports. Genuine recalls, the company said, are communicated through authorised dealers and never require payment or the sharing of sensitive bank details.

The company also flagged a partnership with vivo covering the integration of smart devices with new-energy vehicles, though details of the tie-up were not elaborated.