"Like other European countries, China's cars have also achieved great success in Austria this year: In August this year, BYD became the top brand for new car registrations in Austria for the first time! At the same time, its Seal U DM-i model also became the best-selling plug-in hybrid car in Austria. Now is the perfect time to gain a deep understanding of this fast-growing global automaker."

Recently, 300 media representatives from around the world, including the Salzburger Nachrichten in Austria, traveled to Zhengzhou, China, to explore the secrets behind BYD's success.

BYD Super Factory

As the capital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou is located 700 kilometers southwest of Beijing. BYD is building its latest super factory here. This new industrial park, adjacent to Zhengzhou International Airport, will be expanded in eight stages and will become one of the largest car factories in the world, as well as the largest electric vehicle factory so far.

Even now, a new car rolls off the production line every minute, and a new drive battery is produced every three seconds. Once completed, the factory is expected to have an annual production capacity of 1 million vehicles. This will allow one-quarter of BYD's annual sales to be met by new energy vehicle systems.

This 130-square-kilometer factory is comparable in size to Turin, Italy, or San Francisco, USA, and will provide working and living space for tens of thousands of employees. For Chinese companies, creating a self-sufficient ecosystem around a new factory is not uncommon, including giant residential buildings, leisure facilities, shopping centers, kindergartens, and schools.

European Media Expressed Amazement: European Automakers Seem Very Old

A key component of this vast area is the factory-exclusive Zhengzhou test track. On nearly 20 hectares of land, a 1.7 km long track and various testing and validation areas were built in just 20 months.

Although the off-road and driving dynamics testing areas are similar to those of other manufacturers, BYD once again amazed others in other aspects. For example, the artificial water pool used to test the aerodynamics of the latest luxury SUV is 70 meters long, much larger than any Olympic swimming pool. But what truly amazed everyone was the massive man-made dune that is nearly 30 meters high with a slope of 28 degrees: This huge dune and its 40-meter-high roof can be clearly seen from afar, designed to demonstrate the outstanding climbing ability of BYD's all-wheel drive vehicles.

The four-story main building of the testing center is first-class, comparable to the pit lane clubs of most F1 tracks. During the visit by the media representatives, BYD mainly used this site to showcase its vehicle lineup for the next few years. And these models indeed impressed the visitors.

Massive Man-Made Dune Testing

For a long time, BYD has adopted a multi-brand strategy in the Chinese market. In Europe, the number of models under its core brand is also growing steadily. In addition to BYD, sub-brands such as Yangwang and Fangchengbao are also commonly seen on Chinese roads.

Fangchengbao mainly targets young, digitally savvy consumers, while the development of the high-end brand Yangwang seems limitless. Yangwang's product line includes the fastest production vehicle in the world: Just this September, the 3000-horsepower Yangwang U9 Xtreme set a new world speed record at 496.22 km/h.

The U8 off-road vehicle, which is 5.4 meters long and weighs 3 tons (with four motors producing 1196 horsepower), can walk sideways, turn on the spot, and even drive in water. Its price is only about half that of similar models like the Land Rover Range Rover.

Water and Land Vehicle

Models such as the BYD Tang D9 represent the strong strength that this market leader in China will bring to the global market, especially the European market, in the coming years.

BYD plans to introduce the first batch of models currently displayed in Zhengzhou to Europe as early as 2026, many of which will be launched under the premium brand Denza. In addition, BYD is rapidly building its own charging infrastructure, planning to build 6,000 charging piles with a total charging power of 1,000 kilowatts.

European Journalists Experience BYD Vehicles

"All of this makes traditional European automakers look very old!"

European Media Expressed Amazement: At the closing roundtable discussion, BYD Executive Vice President Li Ke, dressed in sporty racing gear, calmly answered the media's questions. This calmness may come from her confidence in the company's future maximum production capacity, which not only reflects impressive technological capabilities but also control over the entire value chain. From this perspective, BYD's low-key approach to expansion in Europe is undoubtedly a warning to other established Western automakers.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7580713445138514486/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.