BYD Undocks 2nd 7,000-Vehicle Transporter As It Nears 7-Vessel Fleet Goal

BYD is gearing up for a significant milestone in its global expansion plan after undocking its new 7,000-vehicle (CEU) transporter vessel built for BYD Hong Kong Ltd. This indicates that the ship is prepared for sea trials, where it will undergo rigorous performance and safety tests.

This state-of-the-art vessel, capable of transporting 7,000 CEU, features a dual-fuel propulsion system, utilising both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel oil. Additionally, this new ship built by Guangzhou Shipyard fulfils all safety requirements needed to transport both ICE vehicles and EV.

It is also good to highlight that this new ship is the first of two vessels Guangzhou Shipyard was commissioned to build by BYD and is named as the BYD Heifei.

BYD currently already has one 7,000-CEU ship, BYD Explorer No.1, which has been operational since Jan, 2024. The Explorer No. 1, which plies the European route, however is not owned by BYD and is on lease from Zodiac Maritime and was built by CIMC Raffles.

The BYD Heifei, measures 199.9-metres long, 38-metres in beam and has a design draft of 9-metres. The ship is able to sail at a design speed of 18.5 knots.

It is also revealed that on top of the BYD Explorer No.1 and Heifei, there is a third 7,000-CEU ship still being built by Guangzhou Shipyard. Additionally, according to Seatrade Maritime News, BYD had placed an order for four more 9,400-CEU dual-fuel car carriers in 2022 from two shipyards under China Merchants Group, which are due for delivery starting 2025.

Once all the ships are operational, BYD will boast a global vehicle sea freight force of seven ships capable of delivering a total of 58,600 vehicles to any part of the world without relying on external shipping partners like all other brands out there.

The reason to rapidly secure its own mode of transportation instead of being in the mercy of partners spawns most likely from BYD's phenomenal rise in vehicle sales which since January to August 2024, stands at 264,869 vehicles purely on export consumption marking a staggering 125.46% year-on-year growth.

Additionally, according to CNEVPOST.com, JPMorgan analysts project BYD’s global deliveries to reach 6 million units by 2026, of which, 1.5 million units will be purely for the export markets.