‘Inevitable’: China giant’s huge call on EVs

One of China’s fastest growing car brands has declared Aussie motorists can’t escape what is coming their way.

Chinese motoring giant BYD has declared the rise of EVs in Australia as unstoppable and told locals to ready themselves for extreme competition between the growing number of car brands coming Down Under.

BYD is aggressively expanding its presence in Australia, aiming to become one of the top-selling car brands in the country.

EVDirect, BYD’s local distributor has set an ambitious goal of selling 45,000 vehicles this year and doubling the number annually.

The company wants to overtake Toyota, which remains the biggest player in Australia with over 240,000 annual sales.

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BYD is expanding aggressively in Australia. Picture: AFP

As new Chinese brands flood the Australian market, BYD’s general manager of auto sales division for Asia-Pacific Liu Xueliang said he isn’t fazed by the fierce and “inevitable” competition. Nor is BYD concerned by mounting trade tensions and the threat of tariffs from the Trump Administration in the US.

“For BYD, Australia has always been a very important market,” he said.

“We are really happy to see this [increased competition], because more companies and more products coming into Australia for the local market and the customer, means they have more opportunity to choose and decide what exactly they want,”

“And with more models and products coming into the market, competition is inevitable.”

Chery, LDV, Zeekr, GWM and MG are just some of the Chinese car brands now competing for buyers in Australia.

Despite this, BYD is confident in its ability to stand out with aggressive pricing and high-tech affordable models.

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Australia is set to be a fierce battleground for Chinese carmakers. Picture: AFP

“We are always challenging ourselves, it’s the only way that our product can keep improving,” he said.

To solidify it’s position in Australia, Xueliang said BYD is not only bringing in new models but also expanding its local workforce.

The company currently employs 15 people in Australia and plans to increase that number to 70 by the end of the year.

“We want to employ more, and more local people, because they know the market, and they know the customer.” he said.

Originally published as ‘Inevitable’: China giant’s huge call on EVs