New Delhi, India

Chinese automaker BYD entered India in 2007 with its cell phone battery technology and later launched its first electric passenger vehicle - e6- in the country in 2021. The Shenzhen-based company became the world's best-selling electric vehicle maker recently by surpassing Tesla but it is still working on becoming "seen and sizeable" in the Indian passenger vehicle market. A top company executive told WION that BYD India is aiming to grow 30% to 40% year-on-year in the short term and is confident about it.  

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Competitive pricing

The pure EV player currently has three vehicles in its India portfolio - the eMAX 7 MPV (which has replaced the e6), the Atto 3 SUV and the Seal performance sedan. The company is offering all these vehicles in the country at aggressively competitive price points despite the fact that these are imported into the country. These vehicles are priced from INR 26.90 lakh, INR 24.99 lakh and INR 41 lakh, respectively (all prices are ex-showroom). "We want to continue to impress our customers through our product portfolio. We have an MPV, a mid-size SUV and a performance sedan in the electric segment, thus we are trying to address these gaps in the market. In the short-term, we want to stick to this narrative," said Rajeev Chauhan, Vice President of the electric passenger vehicle business at BYD in India.

Sticking to CBU route

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Chauhan clarified that BYD will be sticking to the CBU or Completely Built Unit route for all its models in the near future and that there are no active discussions going on regarding its investment in an assembly line in India. "We have to go much beyond 2,500 units for any product and achieve scale to set up an assembly plant in the country," he said. 

Homologation of products

For now, the company is getting its products homologated so that it can import more than the fixed 2,500 units to the country. It has already received a homologation certificate for Atto 3 and has also applied for the same for eMAX 7, which it expects will drive demand. A Homologation process certifies that a vehicle is roadworthy and meets the safety and technical standards required by a country or region. This certification allows a manufacturer to import more than the fixed 2,500 units of a vehicle to the country. However, the company is not looking to homologate the Seal in the short term. 

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BYD eMAX 7 launch

BYD recently launched the eMAX 7 electric MPV in the country, which is a successor to the e6 MPV - the company's first-ever passenger vehicle in India. While the e6 was majorly targeted at fleet operators and MSMEs, the carmaker is now looking to expand the range of its customers. The eMAX 7 is targeted at large and eco-conscious families that are looking for a comfortable and convenient vehicle for short and long trips both. "While the customer profile of e6 consisted of 70% fleet owners and 30% personal owners, we want to flip this ratio with the launch of eMAX 7," Chauhan said.

The eMAX 7 comes in two variants and in six- and seven-seat options at a starting price of INR 26,90,000 (ex-showroom). The price for the top-end trim goes up to INR 29,90,000 (ex-showroom). The two variants - Superior and Premium - come powered by 71.8 kWh battery pack + 530 km range and 55.4 kWh battery pack + 420 km range, respectively.