Byd surges in Hong Kong on the back of a rise in June sales and plans for a second European site

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - BYD’s shares are surging on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, buoyed by the imminent decision on a second plant in Europe, as stated by Alfredo Altavilla, special adviser to the automotive group, and on the back of positive June sales figures. Shares in the Chinese electric car manufacturer rose by 8.1% to HK$78.30.

Byd is close to a decision to acquire an existing car manufacturing plant in Europe, in order to accelerate its expansion across the continent, Altavilla said whilst speaking at the Automotive Europe conference in Frankfurt. “The decision must be taken very soon”, said the executive, referring to EU regulatory proposals on the ‘Made in Europe’ model, designed to strengthen local production. Altavilla identified Spain and France as the main candidates for brownfield investments, i.e. the acquisition of already operational plants belonging to traditional manufacturers.

“This week we have two teams evaluating all aspects, so we are close to making a decision,” he added. If the acquisition goes ahead, Byd will have a second European assembly site, following the one in Hungary, where production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter.

BYD is also favoured by investors due to its global sales growth for the second consecutive month in June, thanks to a surge in exports that offset weak demand in the Chinese market. Total sales rose by 5.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching 403,472 vehicles last month, according to a document filed with the stock exchange and published on Wednesday.

This performance follows the 0.3% increase recorded in May, which had brought an end to an eight-month losing streak. BYD’s international sales soared by 94.7% compared with June 2025, reaching 175,349 vehicles, thereby offsetting the weakness of the Chinese market, where sales fell by 22%, extending a run of annual declines that began in May 2025.