BYD Begins Operating Third Ship for Vehicle Deliveries

KatadataOTO – In 2025, BYD seems to be getting more serious about working on the international market. This is evident with the start of operations of a roro (roll-on/roll-off) ship that can transport 7,000 cars in a single trip.

This is their third ship and is named BYD Hefei. The Chinese company plans to have eight similar ships by early next year to deliver vehicles to various countries.

The BYD Hefei itself was just completed in September 2024 and underwent several sea trials. The ship officially joined the fleet on Tuesday (07/01).

The car carrier is currently sailing under the Hong Kong flag to Shanghai.
All BYD ships have been designed to easily transport vehicles thanks to the presence of ramps.

Photo : BYD Malaysia

Its doors are placed in several locations, including the stern, bow, or side of the ship.
Having many options makes the loading and unloading process efficient as it does not require cranes or other external equipment.

This ship has a length of 199.9 meters, a width of 38 meters, and is designed to reach a speed of 18.5 knots or the equivalent of 34 km per hour.

It should be noted that throughout 2024, BYD exported at least 417,204 electric cars, an increase of 71.9 percent from 2023. This means the number of vehicles shipped abroad is about 10 percent of their total sales of 4.25 million.

The high number of exported vehicles is inseparable from their decision to have their own shipping vessels. In January 2024, they had the BYD Explorer No.1, and in December of the same year, the BYD Changzhou.

In Indonesia, BYD began to open the market by importing completely built-up vehicles from China. This was done as an initial step before inaugurating production facilities in the country.

Photo : KatadataOTO

Although still shipped as completely built-up units, BYD products have been very well received in Indonesia. As of November 2024, they achieved wholesale sales of 13,886 units.

This figure is expected to increase this year, given that electric vehicle tax incentives are being provided again.