BYD's First Car Carrier Sets Sail

BYD, the Chinese EV manufacturer that has just overtaken Tesla as the top-selling electric car brand, has seen its first car carrier, the Explorer 1, set sail for the first time.

The Explorer 1 was built by CIMC Raffles, ordered by Zodiac Maritime, and subsequently chartered to BYD. With a 7,000 CEU (car equivalent unit) capacity, a length of 199.9 metres and a width of 38 metres, the Explorer 1 will serve as BYD’s main means of exporting its vehicles to the Western European market. 

The dual-fuel powered vessel’s first voyage will see it loading vehicles at the Chinese port of Yantai. It will then call at Xiaomo port in Shenzhen before making its way to Europe where it will call at Flushing Port in the Netherlands and the Port of Bremerhaven in Germany. A total of 5,000 vehicles will be transported onboard.

Build Your Dreams (BYD), is one of a number of Chinese automotive manufacturers that are seeking a foothold in the lucrative European market. 2023 saw Chinese manufacturers export a total of 5.26 million vehicles, of which, 242,800 were BYD cars.

With ambitious export targets, the Explorer 1 is set to be the first of possibly seven new vessels to be commissioned by BYD over the next two years. In an attempt to make these new vessels eco-friendly, it is expected that they will integrate BYD’s battery tech and shaft generator systems.

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