Rising Chinese automaker BYD continues to build out its fleet of super-sized car carriers as it seeks to expand its international footprint, moving with “unprecedented speed” in a bid to topple Tesla as the global leader in electric vehicles.
The massive ships are the largest of their kind in the world, measuring some 220 metres long. The company’s expansion of its ocean freight capabilities represents the “latest battleground” in China’s pursuit of EV dominance, according to industry watcher Christopher Chico, who writes about the technology in his newsletter The Battery Chronicle.
“China’s electric vehicle industry is entering a new phase of global expansion,” he wrote on Monday, noting BYD’s growing fleet of ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ships.
“This approach is about more than solving logistics delays. It reflects a broader strategy to control infrastructure, lower costs, and protect global operations from external bottlenecks.”
As he pointed out, the concept of automaker-owned maritime logistics is not new with Japanese and South Korean car makers relying on their own specialised car carriers to send vehicles around the world.
But Chinese automakers “are scaling the model at unprecedented speed”, looking to capitalise on growing demand and replace Tesla car sales in overseas markets with a cheaper alternative as Elon Musk’s political antics drive many customers away.
Among BYD’s fleet is a ship that reportedly boasts a 9,200 vehicle capacity which had its maiden voyage in late April to Brazil and another ship of the same size that is yet to set sail.
Chinese automakers are building massive shipping fleets to export EVs around the world, following in the footsteps of Japan and South Korea. Here’s BYD’s fleet so far.
From Christopher Chico’s Battery Chronices newsletter: https://t.co/PbGVw1Y7wZ pic.twitter.com/7oRBDLGmas
— Kyle Chan (@kyleichan) June 1, 2025
‘China is on another level’
One person who has seen firsthand China’s rise in EV manufacturing is car expert Paul Maric who recently returned from the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition where Chinese car brands displayed their latest innovations.
“It’s insane, China is on another level entirely,” he told Yahoo News.
“Anyone in Australia who thinks they’re just going to go away sometime soon is in for a shock.
“I think eventually it will just lead to cars becoming more affordable,” he said of the growing expansion of the Chinese industry.
According to BYD figures, the company sold 88,640 passenger vehicles to overseas markets in May, up 133 per cent year-on-year. As analysts noted this week, that run rate would put BYD on track to sell a million cars a year to overseas markets.
And it’s putting incumbent — and typically more expensive — car manufacturers on notice.
“I think the people who are really in trouble are Japanese manufacturers… I don’t know whether they’ve got blinders on but they just don’t think it’s a problem. When you look at how much [Japanese manufacturer] Toyota charges for something like a RAV4 compared to literally any car from China, you’re just not going to be able to get away with that for too much longer, I don’t think,” Maric said.
Tesla sales plunge in Australia, Europe
Tesla sales across Europe plunged by half in April even as growth in the electric car market picked up pace, according to newly released data.
Sales of Tesla vehicles in 32 European countries tumbled 49 per cent to 7,261 in April from 14,228 in the same month the previous year, according to figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA.
At the same time, sales of battery-electric vehicles by all manufacturers rose about 28 per cent.
The figures, which cover the European Union’s 27 member countries and five other nations outside the bloc, back up early data from Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark released earlier this month that had pointed to a sales collapse for Tesla, the hitherto dominant market leader in the EV race.
It’s been a similar story in Australia, with Tesla sales showing a near 60 per cent fall in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same time last year, according to data released by the EV Council.
with AP
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