The first phase of BYD's Uzbekistan plant will produce the plug-in hybrid models Song Plus DM-i and Chazor DM-i, with an estimated annual capacity of 50,000 units.
BYD's (OTCMKTS: BYDDF) plant in Uzbekistan saw the first production vehicles roll off the line, after launching production earlier this year.
The first model produced at the plant is the BYD Song Plus DM-i Champion Edition, which saw its first production vehicles roll off the line on June 27, the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker said in a post on Weibo today.
The moment was witnessed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu at the plant, located in the Jizzakh region.
The Song Plus DM-i, based on the e-Platform 3.0 platform, is one of the hot-selling models in BYD's Ocean series. The hybrid SUV is currently available in China at a starting price range of RMB 129,800 to RMB 169,800.
BYD also signed a green transportation cooperation initiative with the government of Uzbekistan yesterday, aiming to promote sustainable mobility.
The launch of mass production at BYD's Uzbekistan plant will accelerate the green transformation of local transportation, Wang said, adding that the signing of the green transportation cooperation initiative will demonstrate BYD's commitment to environmentally friendly mobility.
In the future, BYD will promote the development of the NEV industry in Central Asia with innovative technologies, Wang said.
BYD announced on December 30, 2022, that it signed an agreement with local automaker Uzavtosanoat JSC (UzAuto) to establish a joint venture.
UzAuto, founded in 1994, is the largest and only automaker in Central Asia with a complete automotive industry footprint, owning 95 percent of the Uzbek automotive market, according to a press release at the time.
Mirziyoyev visited BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen on January 25 of this year and participated remotely with Wang in the production launch of BYD's Uzbekistan plant.
The first phase of the plant plans to produce two plug-in hybrid models -- Song Plus DM-i Champion Edition, and Chazor DM-i (Chaser 05 in China).
The first phase is expected to have an annual production capacity of 50,000 units to meet demand in the Central Asian market, BYD said.
Before starting localized production, BYD was already selling vehicles it exports to Uzbekistan.
On March 16, BYD held a brand unveiling and product pre-sale event in Uzbekistan and introduced three models including the Song Plus DM-i, the Chazor DM-i, and the Han EV pure electric sedan.
Since entering the Uzbek market in March 2023, BYD has become the best-selling NEV brand there, the company said today.
BYD sold 331,817 NEVs in May, including 37,499 vehicles sold in overseas markets, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
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