BUSINESS

BYD Expects European Workforce to Top 40,000 by 2030

Published: Oct. 13, 2026 11:24 p.m. GMT+8

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A BYD electric vehicle manufacturing plant is under construction in Szeged, Hungary, on Aug. 9, 2026. Photo: VCG

BYD Co. Ltd. expects its European workforce to exceed 40,000 by 2030 as the Chinese automaker expands local production amid tighter EU restrictions on vehicle imports from China.

The expansion, involving new factories and the potential use of European rivals’ idle capacity, would deepen BYD’s presence in the region as established automakers cut jobs and contend with underused plants.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

BYD expects European workforce to exceed 40,000 by 2030, expanding production amid EU import curbs.
Headcount nears 10,000; Hungary plant opens Q4 2026, with possible additional plants and use of Stellantis idle capacity.
EU plans hybrid import cap of 350,000 annually starting Dec 1, 2026, after Chinese brands took 25% of Europe's plug-in hybrid market in H1 2026.

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Who’s Who

BYD Co. Ltd.: BYD Co. Ltd. aims to grow its European workforce to over 40,000 by 2030, up from nearly 10,000 now. It plans a Hungary factory by Q4 2026 and possibly two more plants, while exploring partnerships with Stellantis to use idle capacity. The expansion responds to EU tariffs on Chinese EV imports.

Stellantis N.V.: According to the article, Stellantis N.V. is a European automaker that BYD is exploring partnerships with to use idle factory capacity. Stellantis' European capacity utilization is around 60%, reflecting overcapacity challenges amid intense competition and the costly transition to new-energy vehicles.

Volkswagen AG: Volkswagen AG aims to eliminate about 50,000 jobs globally, as the future of some of its factories remains uncertain amid European overcapacity, declining profits, and the costly transition to new-energy vehicles.

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What Happened When

2024-10：: EU imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on battery-electric vehicles from China.

2025：: EU bought 302,000 hybrid vehicles from China.

2026-01 to 2026-06：: Chinese brands accounted for 25% of Europe's plug-in hybrid vehicle market (according to European Automobile Manufacturers' Association).

2026-01 to 2026-08：: Plug-in hybrids made up over 60% of nearly 30,000 cars BYD sold in Spain.

2026-10-12：: BYD executive vice president Li Ke announced plans at the Paris Motor Show; BYD's European headcount approaching 10,000; BYD working to open a Hungary factory in Q4 2026, may build two more plants, exploring partnerships with Stellantis.