BYD Wants to Conquer the Commercial Vehicles Face of Europe at IAA Transportation 2024

Last year, BYD turned into China's best-selling car brand, ahead of Volkswagen, which had held the top spot since the local automotive industry was liberalized. That's no small feat, especially when considering that BYD ceased producing ICE models since the spring of 2022 and is now only making EVs and plug-in hybrids. Their expansion into overseas markets - Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Latin America- is also becoming more and more obvious.

Just recently, the Chinese automaker decided the Old Continent's commercial vehicle sector needs a healthy dose of BYD, too. As such, the IAA Transportation 2024 trade fair, which takes place between September 17 and 22, was assaulted with novelties from the car and truck maker. So, alongside the all-new Transporter (which has enlisted Hollywood star Jason Statham to recreate his famous 'The Transporter' moments) and Caravelle, next to the 2025 Renault Master, which is now the 2025 Van of the Year and its H2-Tech hydrogen-powered prototype, Kia's PBV concept, and more, there are also a handful of BYD novelties.

The first in the new lineup of pure-electric commercial vans and trucks showcased at IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover, Germany, is the BYD E-VALI, a new 3.5t/4.25t light commercial vehicle (LCV) that will have its global premiere at the prestigious event for the European logistics and commercial transportation sector. It was designed specifically for Europe's last-mile and parcel delivery services and has up to 17.9 cubic meters of volume on the 4.25t while the payload is up to 1450kg (depending on size variant).

Inside, there's a tech-savvy interior with BYD intelligent 4G connected services, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto with Over the Air (OTA) updates, a modern instrument panel, and a large touchscreen for the infotainment system. The powertrain consists of the BYD Blade Battery technology and includes a cobalt-free 80.64 kWh Lithium Iron-Phosphate (LFP) pack along with single or dual electric motors for RWD or AWD. The range is up to 250 km (WLTP), and DC charging power reaches up to 188 kW for a 10-80% SoC in approximately 30 minutes.

Also at the show are present the BYD EYT 2.0 Electric Yard Tractor, designed for Europe to "revolutionize operational productivity in environments such as ports, terminals, and general distribution as they transition to eco-friendly electric solutions." It has an up to 75t GCW (Gross Combined Weight) and can operate for up to 16 hours "with quick, efficient charging between shifts for optimal productivity." There are also two pure-electric trucks. The smaller BYD ETM6 (7.5t) is adapted to inner-city distribution and comes with the BYD ePlatform for eTrucks – the range is up to 200 km with a full load, and a 20-100% DC charge takes just one hour.

Last but not least, there's the largest 19t eTruck model, the BYD ETH8, which has a multipurpose platform for a variety of operations (from logistics to sanitation services) and two wheelbase models. Its 255 kWh battery can be charged from 20% to 100% in two hours. BYD thinks that because it was designed for Europe specifically, "it makes a versatile addition to commercial fleets requiring pure-electric eco-friendly solutions to meet their sustainable goals."