- At IAA Munich, Chinese EV and hybrid giant BYD announced or reaffirmed major plans for European expansion.
- Those include the Seal 6 DM-i Touring, a plug-in hybrid wagon aimed at one of Europe’s most popular segments.
- Coming soon to Europe: BYD’s Megawatt charging, which can add 400 kilometers of range (250 miles) in five minutes.
At Europe’s biggest auto show this week, the home team was clearly playing defense.
While Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and others showed off bold new plans for electric vehicles, autonomous driving and advanced software, it was no secret they’re all catching up to things China’s automakers are already doing. And arguably, the one playing offense the hardest is BYD.
The Chinese giant has been making inroads in Europe for a while now—go to any major European city these days, and you’re sure to see lot of its cars. It’s even outselling Tesla across the continent. But at IAA Munich, BYD made clear that it’s in Europe to stay.
Photo by: BYD
BYD’s Executive Vice President Stella Li hosted a lengthy keynote address highlighting the growth of the company’s European car lineup, which now ranges from the affordable Dolphin Surf (aka the Seagull) all the way up to its premium Denza brand.
But you know BYD’s really serious when it comes to the party with something Europeans love, but doesn’t really resonate with American or Chinese buyers: a wagon. Or an estate car, as it’s known in the United Kingdom. That would be the new BYD Seal 6 DM-i Touring, a plug-in hybrid that’s aimed for volume sales at a time when Europe’s EV uptake is growing but often volatile.
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Source: BYD
A little longer than the Audi A4 Avant, the Seal 6 DM-i Touring packs a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine paired with a 19-kilowatt-hour LFP battery pack. In total, it’s good for 1,300 kilometers of range, or 800 miles—even on Europe’s more generous WLTP testing cycle, that’s massively impressive. More plug-in hybrids are planned for the European market soon, despite BYD only selling EVs when it initially entered the market.
Li added that by 2028, all BYD EVs sold in Europe will be made in Europe—a way to dodge anti-China tariffs and cement a long-term foothold in that market. Li admitted as much in her keynote speech: “We are training ourselves to be more European in production,” she said. The company will start making cars at its Hungary plant this year and a second factory in Hungary will be operational next year. Another BYD luxury brand, Yangwang, will also launch in 2027.
BYD Han L, Tang L and Megawatt Charging
Photo by: Patrick George
But the real coup de grâce may be BYD’s European deployment of megawatt charging—its signature 1,000-kilowatt fast-charging system that Li said can add 400 km (250 miles) of range in five minutes. The so-called “Flash” charging system was on display in Munich, Li said, “to demonstrate to all of you that charging is as fast as refueling” a gas car. “This is game-changing.”
I tried this system when I was in China earlier this year, and I couldn’t help but be blown away at how it worked. While 1,000-kW charging speeds are only capable from that charger and on cars able to accept that much power (which so far, are mostly only BYD models), the technology is expected to spread across the industry and accelerate charging in general.
Li said that BYD aims to install 200 to 300 such charging stations by the second quarter of 2026. All Denza products will launch with Flash charging capability, she said.
BYD was hardly the only Chinese automaker with a big show of force at IAA Munich. But out of all of them, it’s likely to be the most serious long-term player in the European market.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
