Tesla's European rivalry is confirmed by BYD: Aerial images reveal progress of substantial manufacturing facility
Wicked Fresh Take
Photograghs reveal BYD's monster car factory in Hungary is carrying on like a bull in a china shop.
Braggin' 'bout takin' down Tesla in China, BYD's hopin' to exploit Elon Musk's drama in Europe.
The whopping $4.5 billion (roughly €4 billion) plant is aiming to sling about 200,000 vehicles annually by the end of 2025.
BYD's whackin' up a whopper factory in Hungary to outrun Elon's Musk's Tesla in Europe.
The 1,800-acre plot on the outskirts of Szeged, Hungary, is slated to churn out approximately 200,000 vehicles per year. Satellite images courtesy of Planet Labs show the factory's busy, bustlin' progress.
Groundwork for the site began last year. A Hungarian official gave the lowdown last November that the first electric vehicle from BYD would hit the road in the second half of 2025.
The €4 billion ($4.5 billion) investment is the next step in BYD's quest to dominate Europe.
Since stampeding through the cut-throat electric vehicle market in China, the Chinese EV company is now eyeing international expansion and peddled a record-setting number of electric vehicles and hybrids in the first quarter of 2025.
Tariffs push local factory construction
BYD's locked outta the U.S. market thanks to high tariffs. In Europe, they're saddled with a 17 percent import tariff, so they're plannin' to invest in local digs like the one in Hungary.
The Chinese automaker also has their eyes on a factory in Turkey and is mullin' over a third European factory. Bigwigs at the company, backed by Warren Buffett, have hinted at considering a third European factory.
This poses a significant threat to Tesla, which operates a Gigafactory in Germany and considers Europe its third-largest market.
Elon Musk's carmaker peddled 327,000 vehicles in Europe last year, but sales have crashed in 2025. This is all thanks to strong backlash from the folks in Europe re: Musk's snoopin' in European politics and crack support for the far-right AfD party.
Tesla's sales in Europe plunged by 37 percent in the first three months of the year, while BYD's took off, skyrocketin' near 300 percent.
Hungary's been a havens for Chinese companies lookin' to set roots in Europe.
Battery giant CATL, the world's largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, is also in the process of buildin' a €6.7 billion factory in Hungary to tighten their grip on the European battery industry.
The presence of Chinese companies has put a strain on relations with the European Union, to which Hungary belongs.
Last month, the Financial Times spilled the beans that the EU is scrutinizin' whether BYD's Hungarian factory has received biased subsidies from the Chinese government.
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What about the proposed BYD factory in Szeged, Hungary, being exported to the vast half of the automotive industry in Europe? This factory, a vast €4 billion ($4.5 billion) investment, is expected to produce approximately 200,000 vehicles each year, challenging Tesla's dominance in the continent. With tariffs pushing local factory construction, BYD is planning multiple European factories, including one in Turkey and possibly a third. The decline in Tesla's European sales, previously their third-largest market, has been significant, dropping by 37 percent in the first quarter of 2025. In contrast, BYD's sales have surged near 300 percent. Despite the potential benefits, the presence of Chinese companies in Hungary, including battery giant CATL, has put a strain on relations with the European Union. The EU is currently scrutinizing whether BYD's Hungarian factory has received biased subsidies from the Chinese government.
