BYD, a global automotive manufacturer, is planning to expand its presence in India by opening a minimum of 25 showrooms by the middle of 2023.
The country’s second showroom for BYD India Private Limited, a subsidiary company of China-based BYD and PPS Motors, was officially inaugurated by Sanjay Gopalakrishnan and Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Rajmohan Rao, as well as other senior executives.
On the sidelines, Mr Sanjay stated that BYD would open 11 showrooms by September and 25 to 28 showrooms in India by June 2023.
He stated that the company’s Chennai assembly plant, which can produce approximately 900 cars in a month, would be able to meet the requirements of the new showrooms.
According to Mr Sanjay, the current penetration rate of electric passenger vehicles is between 1.5%-2% according to the industry. At an optimistic level, it could rise up to 30% by 2030.
He said penetration is slow at first, it will pick up as smartphones do.
He said that the biggest challenges facing the EV industry were customer anxiety over range and charging infrastructure. BYD’s blade battery technology was also a concern. “Even though we can insert a nail into the battery it doesn’t catch fire. He said that, unlike other manufacturers, BYD offers a warranty of up to eight years and five lakh km.
He stated that BYD has partnered with charging partners in order to offer charging facilities.
According to Mr Sanjay, another showroom will be opened in Visakhapatnam this week. Other cities such as Tirupati will be explored later.