BYD’s second cargo ship, the BYD Changzhou, has officially started its operations. According to BYD General Manager Wang Junbao, the second ro-ro ship from BYD began service immediately after its delivery. The BYD Changzhou is nearly 200 meters long and has a maximum capacity of 7,000 vehicles. Currently, the ship is en route to Europe carrying close to 5,000 BYD vehicles for export. The vessel was launched in October 2024 in Yantai, Shandong, and is the second auto transport ship from BYD, following the BYD Hefei. Sea trials for the new ship took place on November 16th.
Ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ships are specifically designed to transport wheeled cargo such as cars, trucks, buses, and railroad cars. Vehicles can easily drive on and off the ship using their own wheels or other platform vehicles. BYD currently operates three ro-ro vessels, including the BYD Explorer No.1 which is leased, and the BYD Hefei and BYD Changzhou, both owned and operated by BYD.
Earlier this year, BYD commissioned its first ship, the BYD Explorer No.1, for exporting vehicles manufactured in China. However, this vessel is not owned by BYD but is instead owned by the international shipping company Zodiac Maritime and leased exclusively to BYD.
The BYD Hefei is the first vessel owned and operated by BYD, named after the BYD Hefei factory. Launched on September 20th, the ship was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International. Similarly, the BYD Changzhou is named after BYD’s Changzhou factory, which commenced production in 2022. The ship, constructed by CIMC Raffles, was delivered to BYD on November 29th.
In a remarkable achievement, BYD reported selling 506,804 NEVs in November, marking a 67.86% year-over-year increase. The total vehicle sales for 2024 reached 3,757,336, up by 40.02% from the previous year. Of the overseas units sold, 28,141 were exported from China. As part of its international expansion plans, BYD intends to launch seven more ro-ro ships in the future.
Sources indicate that the information was originally reported by ITHome.
