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BYD’s expansion in heavy electric transport has already begun in Brazil with internal tests in Bahia, new trucks in development, and ultra-fast charging technologies that can reduce operational stops and expand the use of electric vehicles on urban and medium-distance cargo routes.
BYD is already testing ten heavy 6×2 electric mechanical horses in Brazil in an operation conducted within the Camaçari factory in Bahia, a move that anticipates the Chinese automaker’s plans to expand its presence in road freight transport and accelerate its entry into the electrified heavy vehicle segment.
Revealed by Agência Transporte Moderno, the initiative shows that the company has started to advance beyond buses and light and medium trucks, betting on a market considered more complex due to the demands of autonomy, operational capacity, and charging infrastructure.
Still in the validation phase, the vehicles have no official forecast for commercial launch in the country.
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According to Bruno Paiva, BYD’s sales director for trucks and bus chassis, the models are currently used in internal cargo movement within the Bahia unit, without definitive adaptation to the specific needs of the Brazilian market.
By choosing the 6×2 configuration, the automaker begins to operate in one of the most challenging areas of electrification, as heavy trucks require larger batteries, high operational robustness, and a charging structure prepared to reduce downtime during logistics operations.
In this context, the tests function as a kind of operational laboratory to evaluate performance, autonomy, and practical viability in real applications, while the company redefines priorities and gradually expands its focus on freight transport.
After consolidating its presence in the electric bus segment in cities like São Paulo, Salvador, Goiânia, and São José dos Campos, BYD has started to direct more attention to the truck market, considered strategic for the coming years.
“Now it’s the truck’s turn,” Paiva told Transporte Moderno.
According to the executive, the strategy was defined in stages because the company could not advance with the same intensity in all segments at the same time.
First, the priority was on electric buses; now, the focus is on trucks, in a market that is still seeking scale and predictability in Brazil.
BYD’s electric trucks advance in freight transport
Today, BYD’s truck line available in Brazil remains concentrated in the light and medium segments, with models mainly aimed at urban distribution and last-mile operations carried out on routes with daily returns to logistics bases.
In these applications, the range close to 220 kilometers meets urban and regional demands with less need for recharging throughout the day, a characteristic considered essential for companies that work with scheduled routes and high operational predictability.
The next stage of the strategy involves expanding these operations to medium-distance routes, including routes between factories, distribution centers, and regional logistics hubs that require greater range and continuous availability of vehicles.
For this advancement to occur competitively, it will be necessary to increase battery efficiency, expand charging infrastructure, and significantly reduce charging time, a point considered decisive by carriers operating with strict delivery windows.
In this scenario, the possible adoption of technologies derived from BYD automobiles appears as a central point of the strategy.
The company presented, in 2026, a new generation of the Blade battery and ultra-fast charging systems, with a charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes in specific automotive applications.
For trucks, the expectation cited by Transporte Moderno is that future models may use systems capable of reducing the recharge time to about ten minutes.
If it advances to heavy vehicles, this solution could change the operation of electric fleets, especially on routes with high daily use.
New T75 Truck and Update of the BYD Line
In the already known trucks, BYD is preparing a reorganization of the Brazilian portfolio.
The T5 will be replaced by the T75, which already has open orders and is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2026, according to Transporte Moderno.
The T18 and T23 models, in turn, are expected to receive updates starting in 2027.
The company also plans to enter the 3.5-ton vehicle niche, aimed at urban distribution, a range in which it intends to compete with traditional models used by delivery companies and small logistics operators.
Despite the plans, the volumes are still modest.
BYD sold about 60 units of the T18 in Brazil, while the other models have not yet reached significant numbers.
For Paiva, the market was not mature when the brand arrived, but it is now beginning to show signs of evolution.
The entry into heavy trucks, therefore, should not occur immediately.
The manufacturer evaluates product, application, operational cost, and customer acceptance before defining a commercial launch, especially in a segment where the initial price still weighs on the purchase decision.
BYD Factory in Bahia Strengthens Brazilian Operation
The tests with the electric mechanical horses take place in Camaçari, a city in Bahia where BYD installed its Brazilian factory in the former industrial complex that belonged to Ford for decades.
Officially inaugurated in October 2025, the unit began assembling electrified vehicles with an initial announced capacity of 150,000 units annually, consolidating the company’s strategy to increase the localization of part of its Brazilian operation.
Local production is an important part of the strategy because the cost of importation directly affects the competitiveness of electric vehicles.
The import tax for electrified vehicles was gradually reinstated in Brazil and reaches 35% in July 2026 for imported electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid cars.
In the case of trucks, tax predictability and demand scale remain decisive factors for a potential dedicated factory.
BYD is still considering producing trucks in the country but states that the decision depends on a consistent market and sufficient volume to justify the investment.
Chinese competition accelerates the race for electric trucks
Competition in the electric truck segment is expected to intensify in Brazil with the advancement of other Chinese manufacturers, including Foton, Sany, and XCMG, which are also seeking space in a market still considered nascent.
More than competitive prices, the competition is expected to involve factors such as autonomy, load capacity, availability of parts, quality of technical assistance, and trust in after-sales, elements considered decisive for logistics operators and large fleet owners.
For fleet owners, electrification does not depend solely on the vehicle.
The total cost of operation, battery lifespan, downtime for recharging, and support network weigh as much as the acquisition value.
Therefore, manufacturers that can offer a complete structure are expected to have an advantage in the coming years.
BYD is trying to leverage the experience accumulated with electric buses and cars to gain ground in this new segment.
Even so, the Brazilian market for electric heavy vehicles remains in its initial phase, with few units in circulation and applications more concentrated in controlled operations.
Paiva summarizes the moment as a stage of observation and consolidation.
“We are seeing the picture now, but the film is yet to play. In the next five years, we will understand which products will consolidate,” said the executive.
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