BYD has launched the Atto 3, Seal EV, and Sealion 6 in Pakistan and said it may open an NEV assembly plant in Karachi.
BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has officially entered the Pakistani passenger car market and is considering building a plant there.
The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker held a brand launch event in Lahore on August 17 and introduced three models to local consumers, according to a statement today.
The three models are the all-electric Atto 3 and Seal EV, and the hybrid Sealion 6. In China, the Atto 3 is known as the Yuan Plus, and the Sealion 6 is known as the Song Plus DM-i.
The Seal EV is a sedan, and the other two are SUV (sport utility vehicle) models.
In future, BYD may open its first NEV assembly plant in Pakistan, possibly in Karachi, depending on the development needs, the company said.
The brand launch of BYD was attended by Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
BYD will bring its latest technology and products to Pakistan to fuel the adoption of NEVs in the country, said Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD's Asia Pacific automotive sales division.
BYD's brief statement didn't provide more details, and according to a Bloomberg report on August 15, the NEV maker will set up showrooms in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and sales will begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
BYD's planned plant will be located near Karachi's Port Qasim, an area that is home to assembly plants for other automotive companies such as Toyota, Suzuki and local Kia subsidiaries, according to Bloomberg.
It would be completed in the first half of 2026, and exact details of the plant are still under discussion, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
BYD will form a joint venture with Mega Motors, a subsidiary of Hub Power, Pakistan's largest independent power producer, according to the report.
Pakistan is no stranger to BYD, which introduced its first all-electric buses to the country in April 2021.
In late June, Hub Power said BYD planned to enter Pakistan in partnership with its unit to sell EVs in the country.
BYD ceased production and sales of vehicles powered entirely by internal combustion engines in March 2022, switching to a focus on producing plug-in hybrids and pure-play EVs.
The company sold 342,383 NEVs in July, up 30.60 percent year-on-year and up 0.21 percent from June, according to data it released on August 1.
This included 340,799 passenger NEVs and 1,584 commercial NEVs. In July, BYD sold 30,014 NEVs in overseas markets.
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