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BYD Warns Europe’s Carmakers: Split Focus Could Cost Them the EV Race

As Brussels softens its stance on combustion engines, China’s fastest-growing car brand says hesitation—not regulation—is Europe’s biggest threat.

European car makers risk slipping even further behind their Chinese rivals if they continue to hedge their bets between combustion engines and electrification. That’s the stark warning from Stella Li, BYD’s European boss, who believes regulatory back-and-forth is forcing legacy manufacturers to dilute their efforts—while BYD pushes relentlessly in a single direction.

The European Union’s decision to soften its planned 2035 ban on new combustion-engined cars, allowing up to 10 per cent of sales to continue burning fossil fuels, was welcomed by many European manufacturers. Several had argued that EV sales targets were racing ahead of real consumer demand, and that flexibility was essential to protect jobs and margins.

BYD, however, is unimpressed.

“We don’t care about revisions to the green deal, or delaying the ban for combustion cars,” Li said during a London media briefing attended by Auto Express. “Our strategy, from small cars to large cars, is to offer EV and DM-i.”

Growth without compromise

Unlike many European brands, BYD has already abandoned pure combustion cars entirely. Its line-up consists solely of battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, branded DM-i for ‘dual motor’. Despite—or perhaps because of—this clarity, the company’s European growth has been explosive.

In the first 10 months of 2025, BYD’s registrations in Europe jumped from 36,000 to 138,000 year-on-year, a 285 per cent increase. That momentum comes against a backdrop of stark contrast: EVs now account for around 60 per cent of new car sales in China, but just 16.4 per cent in Europe.

China’s advantage, Li argues, was locked in long ago. A decade-old industrial strategy prioritised battery technology and global supply chains, allowing firms like BYD to scale rapidly while Western rivals hesitated.

“The European Union is trying to push the Green Deal back and forth, then for a lot of auto companies their R&D is back and forth,” she said. “How can they compete with a company like BYD which only believes in one direction?”

Her criticism is blunt: split development budgets mean split results. “Their R&D expense needs to be split into two. You never have enough money to do that, and you’ll never be good at one thing.”

From challenger to giant

BYD is no longer an outsider throwing stones. It has already overtaken Tesla to become the world’s biggest electric-only car maker and now ranks as the third-largest automotive brand globally, behind Toyota and Volkswagen. In total, it has sold 14.5 million ‘new energy vehicles’—EVs and plug-in hybrids combined.

And its ambition is unmistakable. “Our goal is to become the number one global automotive brand,” Li previously told Auto Express.

Europe is central to that plan. By 2026, BYD aims to double its European retail footprint from 1,000 to 2,000 outlets, covering 90 per cent of the market. A wave of new models is on the way, including the Sealion 5 DM-i SUV to rival the Kia Sportage, the Seal 5 DM-i compact saloon, and the Dolphin G, expected to be a small plug-in hybrid SUV.

Made in Europe

Crucially, BYD’s European push will soon be underpinned by local manufacturing. Its new Hungarian factory will begin trial production in the new year, with series assembly scheduled for spring. The first model off the line will be the Dolphin Surf, BYD’s entry-level EV, followed by the Atto 2 small SUV in both electric and hybrid form.

The plant has an installed capacity of 300,000 units, and Li believes BYD will reach that figure in under two years. Local production will not only reduce costs and tariffs, but also give the company a stronger political and industrial voice in the region.

“We haven’t been part of discussions around delaying the ban on new petrol car sales,” Li admits. “But step-by-step, we will start raising our voice.”

Premium ambitions and flash charging

BYD’s European expansion won’t stop at the mainstream. Li confirmed that Denza, the group’s premium brand, will launch in Europe at the beginning of April.

Three models are planned for next year, all featuring high-performance electric platforms, autonomous parking and ultra-fast ‘flash charging’. Among them are the Z9GT estate—positioned as a rival to the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo—the D9 seven-seat MPV, and the B5 SUV.

Denza’s technology headline is charging speed. Built on a high-voltage architecture, the cars are claimed to recover nearly 250 miles of range in just five minutes. To support this, BYD plans to roll out its own one-megawatt chargers, targeting 300 units in the UK and 3,000 across Europe.

One direction, full throttle

For Li, the lesson is simple: commitment beats caution. While Europe’s established manufacturers debate timelines and hedge their investments, BYD is betting that clarity—and speed—will decide the future of the industry.

“Who is winning?” she asks. In BYD’s view, the answer is already taking shape.

Source: Auto Express

News

Germany Turns Pickle Juice into Winter Road Safety Solution

When it comes to winter driving, Germany is proving that innovation doesn’t always come from high-tech labs—it can come straight from the kitchen. While pickles are a staple of German cuisine, the country has discovered an unexpected use for the brine from these beloved cucumbers: de-icing roads and airport runways.

Traditionally, countries affected by icy winters rely on rock salt to keep traffic moving safely. Unlike table salt, rock salt features larger granules, providing traction for vehicles and reducing the risk of accidents—provided drivers adhere to speed limits and maintain proper tires. However, the process is costly, and salt is far from an unlimited resource.

Enter the humble pickle. Not the jarred varieties found on supermarket shelves, but the brine used in large-scale cucumber farms during fermentation. This liquid, naturally rich in salt, is collected after the pickling process. Before being applied to roads and runways, its salt concentration is boosted to around 22 percent, making it a potent and economical alternative to traditional rock salt.

Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest airport, has become a notable adopter of this method. Their studies indicate that the fortified pickle brine effectively prevents ice formation even at extreme subzero temperatures of up to -18 degrees Celsius, ensuring safer conditions for planes and vehicles alike.

This approach highlights a growing trend in sustainable winter maintenance. By repurposing food industry byproducts, German utility companies reduce waste while cutting costs associated with conventional de-icing. It’s a solution that blends culinary ingenuity with practical road safety—a reminder that sometimes, the path to innovation can be surprisingly… tangy.

Source: DW

News

Ford Bronco Could Finally Make Its Australian Debut—With a Twist

Australia has long been a haven for off-road enthusiasts, with vehicles like the Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor commanding fierce loyalty from buyers. Yet one iconic 4×4 has conspicuously been missing from local showrooms: the Ford Bronco. That could soon change—but don’t expect it to look or drive quite like the Bronco you know from the US.

Ford appears poised to introduce a new Bronco variant designed specifically for markets outside North America, including Australia. Known in China as the Bronco Basecamp—or Bronco New Energy—this model emerges from Ford’s joint venture with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC). Its styling feels like a cross between the rugged, full-size American Bronco and the compact Bronco Sport, but it’s actually larger than both.

A notable change for Australian buyers is that the Bronco Basecamp will be built in right-hand drive, with exports planned not just for Australia, but also for Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America, according to reports from Wheelsboy.

Under the skin, the differences continue. While the US Bronco sits on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, the Chinese model uses a unibody construction. That may limit its ability in extreme off-road conditions, but it should provide a more comfortable and composed ride on sealed roads—a potential selling point for buyers seeking rugged style without compromising daily usability.

The Bronco Basecamp is a large vehicle by any measure, stretching 5,025 mm (just over 197 inches) in length—101 mm longer than the Ford Everest currently sold in Australia. This combination of size and unibody construction suggests Ford is targeting a new segment: drivers who want the adventurous aesthetic of a 4×4, but with family-friendly dynamics and more forgiving handling.

Powertrain options are particularly compelling. The all-electric Bronco Basecamp packs a 105.4 kWh battery and dual electric motors producing a combined 445 hp and 424 lb-ft (575 Nm) of torque. That makes it more powerful than the ICE-powered Bronco Raptor in terms of horsepower and nearly matches its torque.

In China, Ford also offers a range-extender version featuring a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors and a 43.7 kWh battery. This setup delivers 416 hp and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) while offering up to 220 km (137 miles) of electric-only range.

Whether both powertrains will make it to Australia remains unclear. Even if Ford limits the lineup, the Bronco Basecamp presents a fresh alternative for local buyers—one that blends the Bronco’s iconic off-road DNA with modern electric technology and everyday usability. It’s not the American Bronco many have been dreaming of, but it could be the next best thing for those craving a large, adventurous SUV with a distinctly global twist.

Source: Ford

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