The Chinese car manufacturer BYD’s ship, the Explorer No.1, has landed for the first time in Spain with a thousand units of the group’s new vehicle, the BYD Seal U DM-i, the group announced in a statement on Friday.
This ship, company sources told Europa Press, will allow the direct import of vehicles and spare parts from China to Spain on a continuous basis from now on.
On this first trip, the decision was made to dock at the port of Santander (Cantabria) so that the Chinese group’s clients will be able to access both the cars and their parts in a “faster, more efficient and, above all, shorter waiting” manner.
Since its arrival in Spain in March 2023, BYD has experienced remarkable growth, consolidating itself as one of the plug-in hybrid vehicle brands with the fastest growing demand in the country.
In the year-to-date period from January to July 2024, the Chinese brand has registered a growth of 999%, as they claim, with 1,473 units registered compared to 134 in the same period last year.
Specifically, the imported model on this occasion, the BYD Seal U DM-i, is the company’s first plug-in hybrid to hit Europe, and with the recent arrival of a thousand units by boat, it will become the Chinese vehicle with the highest number of registrations in the Spanish market. At the moment, this car is on sale in two versions, Design and Boost, from 29,990 euros.
In the case of the BYD Seal U DM-i Design, it has two electric motors, one with 204 horsepower (HP) in the front axle and another with 163 HP in the rear, which are complemented by a gasoline engine of up to 131 HP that gives it a range of more than 1,100 kilometers (km).
The Boost version has a front-wheel drive hybrid system that combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine, developing 98 hp, and a 197 hp electric motor.
The Comfort variant will not arrive until the end of the year, as confirmed by the company, and has the same characteristics as the previous one, but with a battery with a higher capacity, up to 26.6 kWh. The price is set at 40,500 euros.
Direct import by ship
The Explorer No.1, which was officially launched on January 10, 2024 at the Port of Yantai, China, is a ship with a carrying capacity of 7,000 vehicles and a dual propulsion system of liquefied natural gas and conventional fuel.
“We are very proud of the extraordinary reception of this model, which promises to lead the market in the coming months. This transport not only symbolizes our growing investment in the country, but also our firm intention to offer the best sustainable mobility solutions, with the optimization of our supply chain and with BYD’s commitment to sustainability and innovation in transport,” said BYD’s country manager in Spain, Jordi Cuesta.
