BYD to build additional e-bus factory in Brazil
This was confirmed by Marcelo Schneider, Director of Commercial Vehicles at BYD Brazil, in a statement to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). BYD has been assembling battery-electric bus chassis in Campinas, São Paulo state, since 2015 and has produced around 600 chassis at the facility over the past decade. Owing to secured orders, BYD expects to produce approximately 1,200 chassis in 2026 alone, which means the plant’s production capacity is already fully utilised for next year.
The Campinas plant currently has a nominal capacity of up to 2,000 chassis per year, though this could only be achieved under ideal conditions. According to Schneider, the actual production output and practical limit are significantly lower, as the complexity of production depends on the specific bus configuration. For example, BYD also manufactures articulated buses in Campinas, which ‘require more time and resources.’
As a result, BYD plans to expand its production capacity gradually, according to the report. In the short term, a temporary production facility will be established near Campinas, which is expected to roughly double the current capacity within four to six months. However, this is only an interim solution, as BYD is pursuing a far more comprehensive strategy. The company plans to construct an entirely new factory that could potentially replace all existing commercial vehicle plants currently scattered across the Campinas region. The new facility is planned for São Paulo state, with operations expected to commence in two to three years.
The new plant will also enable BYD to expand its locally manufactured product range. The factory is designed to produce electric trucks, a segment BYD currently serves in Brazil through imports. At full capacity, the new facility could produce between 6,000 and 7,000 chassis annually. It is expected to employ 700 to 800 people, compared to fewer than 100 employees at the current site.
According to BYD manager Schneider, the current strong order situation is driven by a major ‘wave of fleet replacement’ among many public transport operators. Particularly in São Paulo, numerous operators are now procuring new buses and renewing their fleets, as existing vehicles could not be replaced during the Covid-19 pandemic and remained in service longer than planned.
At the new facility, BYD intends to produce not only for the Brazilian market but also to export battery-electric buses and chassis. The focus will be on South America, though exports to Africa are also being considered for the future, according to the report.
The aforementioned plans refer only to the plants in São Paulo state. In Bahia state, BYD has been constructing as reported a facility for electric and hybrid cars, another for battery-electric bus and truck chassis, and a third plant to process lithium and iron phosphate for the international market on a former Ford industrial site since 2023.
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