Dolphin and Atto 3 will be BYD’s first European-made electric cars

BYD’s ongoing global expansion continues, with it starting production of its popular Dolphin and Atto 3 electric cars in Europe next year. European carmakers, already fearful of the rising Chinese giant, will soon have to deal with BYD making cars in their own backyard.

The company is building a large production facility in Hungary and will be ready to ramp up production by the end of 2025, according to its European boss Stella Li. Li said BYD’s original plan was for the smaller Seagull to be the first model to be built in Europe, but priorities have changed, possibly because the Dolphin and Atto 3 were supposed to sell more than the Seagull.

Read: 2026 BYD Dolphin EV breaks cover with better looks and new powertrain options

In an interview with German business magazine Capital, Li pointed out that it will take two to three years to increase the production capacity of the Hungarian factory, and the third model will be produced locally in Europe, between the Dolphin and Atto 3. Li’s “Atto 2” is expected to be a rebranded version of the Yuan Up shown earlier this year and already available in China. It’s noticeably smaller than the Atto 3 and has a more solid and upright design, a bit like the Mercedes-Benz GLB, but smaller. The Seagull will also become the fourth model produced at the Hungarian factory.

For BYD, securing its position in the European market will not be easy. Electric vehicle sales growth in the region slowed throughout much of 2024. To this end, BYD is expected to start offering more plug-in hybrid vehicles in Europe.

In October, Listera announced that BYD would produce most of the electric cars it sells locally in Europe after import tariffs were imposed on Chinese-made electric cars. BYD is working to establish a new supply chain in Europe, where battery packs will be assembled in Hungary and Turkey and only battery cells will need to be imported from the country.