- Two former Stellantis execs are driving BYD’s rapid European expansion.
- Their efforts are ruffling feathers as Stellantis dealers line up to sell BYDs.
- BYD targets 120 German dealerships by year’s end and 300 locations by 2026.
Chinese automakers are going global and trying to beat local brands on their home turf. That situation is currently playing out in Germany, where BYD is making a big push.
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That’s to be expected, but two former Stellantis employees are helping to lead the charge. They’re BYD Europe Regional Managing Director Maria Grazia Davino and BYD Germany Managing Director Lars Bialkowski.
More: BYD And Stellantis Spar Over Who Owns Germany’s Chinese EV Crown
While employees change jobs fairly often, Automobilwoche reported that a number of Stellantis dealers in Germany have signed up to sell BYDs. This is reportedly “causing anger in Rüsselsheim,” where Opel is headquartered.
Despite bad optics, Davino told the publication “Lars Bialkowski and I didn’t call dealers we knew from before.” Instead, she claimed dealers called them because “they see BYD’s potential.”
Bialkowski added it was a “very natural move” for dealers to reach out as the Chinese brand offers plenty of room to grow. That means money and this is something dealers are certainly interested in.
Explosive Growth
While BYD sold less than 8,600 vehicles in Germany through August, the brand is quickly expanding. As Davino explained, the company only had 26 dealers until a few weeks ago. That number has now increased to “well over 50” and they’re targeting 120 by the end of the year.
That’s a pretty sizable increase, but BYD is planning for even bigger growth in 2026. In particular, they’re aiming to have 300 locations next year as Bialkowski said that’s the minimum number of dealers they need to capture significant market share.
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However, problems are already brewing and one dealer told the publication BYD’s “network is growing far too quickly” and isn’t sustainable. Automobilwoche also noted just 12% of registrations were from private customers, implying many came from firms such as rental car companies.
Despite this, Davino said “demand is much greater than what we can handle.” Bialkowski added they’re aiming to sell 50,000 vehicles in Germany as quickly as possible.
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#Stellantis #Dealers #Embracing #BYD #Making #Awkward
