BYD’s second cargo ship, the BYD Changzhou, has begun operations. BYD General Manager Wang Junbao announced that BYD’s second ro-ro ship went into service immediately after delivery.
The ship measures at 199.9 meters long and has a max capacity of 7,000 vehicles. The ship is currently headed for Europe with nearly 5,000 BYD vehicles for export. BYD Changzhou was launched in October 2024 in Yantai, Shandong and is the second BYD auto transport ship, following the BYD Hefei. The new vessel underwent sea trails on November 16th.
Ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, trucks, buses, and railroad cars. Vehicles are driven on and off the ship using their own wheels or using another platform vehicle. BYD has three ro-ro vessels under operation, BYD Explorer No.1 which is leased, and the BYD Hefei and BYD Changzhou which is owned and operated by BYD.
BYD originally commissioned its first ship this January under the name BYD Explorer No.1 to export vehicles built in China aboard. That vessel, however, is not owned by BYD, but 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. The ship was first launched on September 20th and is built by Guangzhou Shipyard International. The BYD Changzhou is also similarly named after BYD’s Changzhou factory, which started production in 2022. The ship was built by CIMC Raffles and left port to be delivered to BYD on November 29th.
In November, BYD sold 506,804 NEVs, a 67.86% year-over-year increase. BYD has sold a total of 3,757,336 vehicles in 2024, up 40.02% from 2023. The company sold 30,977 overseas units, with 28,141 being exported from China. BYD plans to launch seven more ro-ro ships as part of the company’s international expansion.
Sources: ITHome
