• Shenzhen completed its undocking and is the world's largest ro-ro ship to date, with a capacity of 9,200 vehicles.
  • BYD's fleet previously consisted of three vessels -- BYD Explorer No.1, BYD Hefei and BYD Changzhou.
(Image credit: China Water Transport magazine)

BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) is about to welcome a new vessel to its fleet, as the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker steps up its bet on the international market.

The BYD Shenzhen car carrier finished undocking in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province in eastern China, on January 15, China News Service said in a report yesterday.

Undocking means the ship has completed construction and is ready to begin its career on the sea.

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It is the world's largest ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ship to date, with a capacity of 9,200 vehicles, the report said.

The ship's smooth departure from the dock provides a new impetus for Chinese auto brands to expand overseas, helping them respond quickly to changes in international market demand, the report said.

The report did not mention the ship's owner, though it appears to be Shenzhen-based BYD.

The first vessel in BYD's fleet is the BYD Explorer No.1, which entered service in January 2024. It was chartered to BYD by another owner.

On September 20 last year, Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd held an undocking ceremony for BYD Hefei, a 7,000-vehicle dual-fuel automobile ro-ro vessel built for BYD.

BYD Hefei is BYD's first car carrier as a shipowner and the first to be named after the city where one of its vehicle production bases is located.

The BYD Hefei set sail on January 7 and would carry nearly 5,000 units of NEVs to Europe, BYD said earlier this month.

In December, BYD said it put its new car carrier BYD Changzhou into operation, the second ship for which BYD is the owner after BYD Hefei.

Built by CIMC Raffles, BYD Changzhou has a capacity of 7,000 cars and carried 5,000 NEVs to Europe on its maiden voyage.

BYD Shenzhen appears to be BYD's third vessel named after one of the cities where its cars are produced and the fourth in its fleet.

The vessel has an overall length of 219 meters, a beam of 37.7 meters, a design draft of 9 meters and a design speed of 18.5 knots, according to China News Service.

BYD Shenzhen uses LNG dual-fuel clean power and for the first time uses BYD's box battery packs and shaft generators, according to the report.

The vessel is currently the world's largest and most environmentally friendly automotive ro-ro ship, the report said.

BYD Hefei sets sail as NEV maker's 3rd car carrier joins fleet