BYD's Fangchengbao Hits 600,000 Sales as France Factory Talks and Hybrid Export Caps Take Shape

BYD's premium sub-brand Fangchengbao has passed 600,000 cumulative vehicle sales, the Chinese automaker said today, a milestone that lands alongside a broader product and infrastructure push stretching from Paris showrooms to Indonesian charging bays.

Deliveries for the brand climbed to 43,181 units in September, up 79% from a year earlier, according to media reports. The figure underscores how aggressively BYD is expanding its line-up in higher-priced segments at home, where it is leaning on specialist marques to reach wealthier buyers.

That performance fed into a strong month overall. BYD delivered 463,561 new-energy vehicles in September, its best monthly showing of 2026 so far and a 16.98% increase year on year. Overseas volume was the standout, jumping 153.59% to 180,700 units.

The nine-month tally tells a different story. Cumulative deliveries reached 3,131,576 vehicles, down 3.94% from the same period a year earlier.

Paris Debuts and a Charging Rollout

Product launches have come thick and fast. On 13 October BYD brought the Da Han electric sedan to the Chinese market in three versions, priced from 235,900 yuan, with a maximum range of 1,008 kilometres on the CLTC test cycle.

At the Paris motor show the group unveiled the ATTO 8 SUV, the first European model to carry the second-generation Blade battery and its FLASH charging technology. BYD says the pack can go from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. It plans 3,000 charging stations across Europe by the end of 2027. Denza premium models were also on display in the French capital as the company courts more affluent customers.

Indonesia is getting similar treatment. On 14 October BYD introduced Flash Charging there alongside the Denza D9 and Z9GT, both using the second-generation Blade battery, which the company says can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes. Ten DENZA showrooms will host the first chargers before a public network follows, with 100 stations planned in the country by the end of 2026.

France on the Shortlist

Behind the product offensive sit far-reaching industrial ambitions. Executive Vice-President Stella Li said on 12 October that BYD is seriously examining a plant in France and weighing additional European sites. France is on the shortlist, though no final investment decision has been made. Li also floated a second and third plant on the continent.

Bloomberg reported, citing Li, that the group aims to grow its European headcount past 40,000 by 2030, after clearing the 10,000-employee mark in the near term.

Trade policy is the backdrop. China and the European Union have agreed to limit exports of Chinese hybrid vehicles into the bloc, a move Reuters reported hits BYD hardest as the largest Chinese exporter of hybrids to Europe. BYD views the arrangement as short-term pressure but is sticking with its European commitment, according to the agency.

Service Network Widens

On the after-sales side, BYD Energy Storage disclosed details of its global customer service network on Monday. The set-up spans nine operations and maintenance centres of 2,500 square metres each, with further service hubs slated to open in South Africa and Bulgaria in 2027.

Shares Stay Under Pressure

Investors have yet to be won over. The stock changed hands at EUR 8.38 in German trading on Monday, leaving it down 22% since the start of the year and not far from its 52-week low of EUR 8.03. It closed at EUR 8.34 on Friday. Market participants are watching closely how the hybrid export negotiations will affect margins in the European business.