BYD's remodeled factory to begin trial production next year

BYD (Build Your Dream) Auto, a major Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer, looks toward a promising future as its Changsha factory, located in the Yuhua Economic Development Zone, is being remodeled.

In April, BYD invested 3 billion yuan ($468.5 million) into expanding and upgrading its Changsha production base, focusing on making the latest Yuan Model, the Yuan-series electric model, and the Song plug-in hybrid electric model.

The remodeled factory covers a total area of 300,000 square meters (30 hectares), with one third currently under construction. It will begin trial operations next year and go into full production mode by 2020.

A number of industrial robots, as well as intelligent equipment, will be deployed at several production lines to improve production efficiency.

According to Zhang Liang, director of government affairs, BYD Executive Office, the upgraded production line will be able to assemble a car within 60 seconds, down from 130 seconds.

Once completed, the factory is expected to reach an annual production output of 300,000 new energy-powered vehicles, triple the current capacity.

"In 2011, a fleet of BYD K9 electric buses took to the roads in Changsha, and there are now more than 2,000 electric buses in service across the city. All buses will run on new energy by 2020," BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu said at a meeting earlier this year.

Wang cited data that reveals the rapid development of the electric vehicle maker's new energy industry in Hunan province.

A visitor shows interest in the BYD Qin EV300 at an electric auto show in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Founded in 1995, BYD started as a manufacturer of handset batteries and expanded into automobile manufacturing in 2003. Its Changsha plant has enjoyed a steady rise in the sales volume of a variety of models since it was established in 2009.

At present, the Changsha factory is capable of producing 100,000 passenger cars per year, in addition to e-buses such as the K9. The K9 is a 42-seat electric bus with a battery range of up to 350 kilometers. It has a 12-meter body and features an electric air suspension system and a smart key system.

BYD's Changsha base has become the company's first to manufacture new energy passenger cars, trucks, and special automobiles.

Apart from the huge economic benefits, the factory has created approximately 5,000 job opportunities for the local community this year.

A BYD Song plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is on display at an auto expo in Shanghai, April 19, 2017. [Photo/VCG]