BYD seeks abandoned car plant in Europe: betting on speed and savings. BYD is urgently searching for a ready-made site to assemble electric vehicles in Europe, aiming to avoid new tariffs and save time on construction. Spain is a leading contender, but there are hardly any suitable factories available.
BYD, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer from China, is preparing for a new stage of expansion in Europe. The company has nearly completed construction of its plant in Hungary, but that's not enough: to remain competitive amid new European tariffs and localization requirements, another factory is needed — and as soon as possible.
BYD Vice President Stella Li stated plainly: there's no time to start construction from scratch. According to her, the optimal option is to find an existing but unused site, quickly modernize it, and begin production. This approach allows the company to bypass bureaucratic delays related to permits, finding suppliers, and coordinating standards, which in Europe can drag on for years.
The reason for the rush is clear: since 2024, the European Union has introduced additional tariffs on Chinese vehicles, and Brussels is preparing new rules that will require automakers to locate part of their production directly within the EU. In addition, national electric vehicle support programs, such as Spain’s Plan Auto+, directly depend on where a car is assembled, affecting the amount of subsidy for buyers.
Spain has emerged as one of the frontrunners for BYD's new plant. The country ranks second in Europe for automotive production after Germany, features relatively low labor costs, and offers convenient logistics for exports to the UK and France. Moreover, as experts note, Spanish buyers are less attached to domestic brands and more price-oriented, which benefits Chinese companies.
However, this scenario also has its drawbacks. There are almost no large vacant car plants left in Spain that could be quickly repurposed. For instance, Ford's site in Almussafes has already been handed over to Geely, and the Stellantis plant in Villaverde will soon go to Leapmotor. This sharply narrows BYD's options.
BYD's senior advisor in Europe, Alfredo Altavilla, emphasizes: "There’s no time to build from scratch. We need to take something ready and start it up." This approach is becoming increasingly popular among automakers seeking rapid entry into the European market. For example, Ford recently promised that its new models for Europe would retain the brand's signature character and would not turn into "toasters on wheels"—more on this is available in the article on russpain.com.
For now, BYD has not disclosed where the new plant may be located, but one thing is clear: competition for time and resources in the European auto industry is reaching a new level. If a suitable site is found, this could shift the balance of power in the EU electric vehicle market.
