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China wants to spread its cars around the world: BYD will have a fleet of at least 8 ships just to export its cars. The first one has already been to Brazil and the second one has just been completed.
China's ambitious investment in spraying its cars around the world: BYD's second ship built at the shipyard Guangzhou Shipyard International, is ready to be tested before starting operations, expanding the company's fleet, which already has one cargo ship in operation. BYD, which is expanding its activities with a dedicated fleet of RoRo vessels for transporting vehicles, plans to have a total of eight vessels dedicated to exporting its cars, with the first ship in the fleet already in Brazil and the second just completed.
The new vessel was named Hefei, after the capital of Anhui province, where the BYD maintains a factory. With a length of 199,9 meters, the ship has the capacity to carry up to 7.500 vehicles in a single trip. In addition, it can reach a maximum speed of 34 km/h (equivalent to 18,5 knots), using both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel oil to power its engines.
Although construction of the Hefei has already been completed, the ship will still need to undergo rigorous safety and performance tests before it can begin operating, as is common in the shipping industry. These tests will ensure that the vessel is ready to handle the conditions of international shipping.
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BYD to add vessels capable of carrying up to 9.500 vehicles to its fleet
In recent years, the growth of Chinese car exports has put enormous pressure on maritime logistics. In 2023 alone, ship rental costs reached US$115.000 (equivalent to R$628.300), representing a significant increase of 576% compared to 2019 figures.
To guard against these rising prices and ensure the efficiency of its operations, BYD ordered the construction of four RoRo vessels in 2021, with an estimated unit cost of US$64 million (R$350 million). In addition, the company plans to add four more vessels to its fleet, with the capacity to transport up to 9.500 vehicles. The objective of the investments is to ensure that the growing demand for its automobiles is met effectively.
This strategy of investing in its own fleet is not exclusive to BYD. A notable example is Hyundai, which in 2001, during the expansion of its sales, founded Hyundai Glovis, a logistics operator responsible for its fleet of vessels. Hyundai currently has 96 vessels, of which 60 are dedicated to transporting cars and 36 are used for containers.
BYD has stepped up its investments in Brazil
Over the past year, BYD has stepped up its investments in Brazil, capturing a significant share of the hybrid and electric car market. This growth in sales has resulted in a corresponding increase in the volume of vehicles imported into the country.
Starting this year, there was a gradual increase in the tax on imported electrified vehicles, which led BYD to anticipate its imports before the new taxes came into effect. This measure ended up putting pressure on maritime transport and generated a dispute with other companies that also depend on importing goods.
With the arrival of another vessel to its fleet, BYD will have more flexibility to handle its export investments and will be able to ship a larger quantity of vehicles in a single shipment. The Explorer 01, the first vessel in the fleet, has already been to Brazil, and the expectation is that the Hefei will also visit Brazilian ports in the coming months, further expanding the brand's logistics capacity in the international market.
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