• [Dailystar Icon]
• News
• World News
• China

Chinese firm BYD launches 16-storey ship with 9,000 cars to boost electric car exports

Chinese car manufacturer BYD has launched a 16-storey container ship capable of transporting 9,200 vehicles as it seeks to dominate the UK electric car market

[Massive BYD tanker]

Experts have sounded the alarm that Britain is being 'flooded' with budget Chinese cars

Chinese car giant BYD has unveiled a towering 16-storey container ship capable of ferrying 9,200 vehicles, as it sets its sights on conquering the UK electric car market - just as British production hits a 70-year low.

The BYD Xi'an, christened after the historic city of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province, is the firm's fifth mega-tanker and stretches a whopping 219m in length with a beam of 38m.

It has embarked on its inaugural journey to Europe, packed to the brim with 7,000 cars including the electric Dolphin and Sealion models.

[Massive BYD tanker]

The BYD Xi'an

This comes hot on the heels of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that UK car production plummeted to its lowest point in 70 years in May, dipping below 50,000 units. BYD is gunning for swift expansion in Europe following Donald Trump's trade tariffs in the US, which have made their cars eye-wateringly expensive.

The company sees a golden opportunity in the UK where there are no import tariffs on Chinese vehicles - unlike the EU, where tariffs of up to 35 per cent can be slapped on.

However, some experts have sounded the alarm that Britain is being 'flooded' with budget Chinese cars, which could dent sales of home-grown vehicles.

[Massive BYD tanker]

UK car production plummeted to its lowest point in 70 years in May

Undeterred, BYD is capitalising on this chance and now boasts five purpose-built cargo ships - the BYD Explorer No. 1, BYD Hefei, BYD Changzhou, BYD Shenzhen, and now the BYD Xi'an - to export vehicles overseas in staggering quantities.

Despite only breaking into the European market in 2022, the company has already outpaced Tesla, with sales of 7,231 units in April 2025 compared to 7,165 for the US trailblazer.

Its global sales are soaring, with 382,476 vehicles sold worldwide in May 2025 - a year-on-year increase of over 15 per cent. The firm is targeting the sale of 5.5 million cars globally this year, with 800,000 of these outside of China.

[Massive BYD tanker]

BYD is set to inaugurate its first European passenger car by the end of this year

BYD is set to inaugurate its first European passenger car factory in Szeged, Hungary, by the close of 2025.

Chairman Wang Chuanfu stated: "Europe is an ideal place for us to demonstrate the strengths of BYD's vehicles, especially in terms of sustainable transport.

"We have a strong belief that the European market will be an engine for our global expansion."

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.