BYD, Zeekr, & NIO Enter Pakistan, Japan, & UAE
Chinese electric vehicle producers continue to expand around the world, and we’ve got a few new expansions to share. BYD is moving into Pakistan, Zeekr is moving into Japan, and NIO is moving into UAE. We also have news of Ford and Tesla selling electric vehicles in new markets. Oh, no, we don’t actually….
BYD in Pakistan
BYD is beginning to sell three models in Pakistan, with a launch event in Lahore this past weekend. For now, it is selling the fully electric BYD Atto 3 (aka Yuan Plus in China) and BYD Seal EV as well as the plugin hybrid BYD Sealion 6 (aka Song Plus DM-i in China), showing that it continues to expand with a mixture of full electric vehicles and plugin hybrids for various markets.
The company also indicated it might open a factory in Pakistan, perhaps in Karachi near Port Qasim, where other automakers are based. Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb attended the launch event and is surely pushing for the factory. BYD showrooms will be in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, to start.
BYD is creating a joint venture with Hub Power subsidiary Mega Motors to enter the market. Hub Power is “Pakistan’s largest Independent Power Producer (IPP).”
BYD in Sri Lanka
BYD also just launched its first store in Sri Lanka, about a month after announcing this was coming. BYD had been selling vehicles there earlier, but through non-BYD dealerships. The company was already selling the Dolphin, Sealion, and Atto 3 there, but is now adding the Sealion 6 plugin hybrid to the options list.
NIO to UAE
NIO isn’t going to be building a factory in the UAE, but it is about to start selling cars there. NIO now has a UAE website, which is very basic, but is clearly indicating that its electric cars are coming to the small but rich oil nation. Here’s a letter posted on that webpage:
Hello Friends from the UAE,
In November 2014, NIO was founded to realize our mission of “Blue Sky Coming”. This year marks our 10th anniversary.
Since the delivery of our first mass-produced vehicle in 2018, NIO has continued to be a leader in the premium battery electric vehicle market, providing premium products and services to an ever-growing community of more than 557,000 users in China and Europe, including over 107,000 new users so far this year.
The automotive industry is undergoing profound changes. We believe that the future is in safer and more comfortable smart electric vehicles, and we aim to lead the way. In this future, it isn’t just products and technology that must change, it is how people use these products and their entire experience with EVs. When the experience exceeds expectations, electric vehicles will simply become the natural choice for everyone, leading to a more sustainable tomorrow. With that, our mission will be achieved.
Since its founding, NIO has been a global company. Our users, employees, and investors come from all over the world. In 2023, we formed a strategic partnership with CYVN Holdings, an investment firm backed by the Abu Dhabi Government, to collaborate on international growth. Together we are working to bring our mission to life, starting right here in the UAE.
We are enthusiastic about collaborating with our local partners to usher in a new era of Smart Electric Vehicles. With our cutting-edge full-stack technologies, we are confident that our vehicles will exceed the high standards expected by UAE users. We are committed to fostering a growing community in the UAE and building strong networks to provide the best possible experience for NIO users.
We are happy to shape a brighter and more sustainable future together with you all.
William Li
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Roberto Lopes Da Silva
General Manager, NIO UAE
NIO is expected to start selling cars in the UAE this year.
Zeekr to Japan
Lastly (for today), we’ve got Zeekr making its way to Japan. The Chinese EV company plans to start delivering cars in Japan in 2025 after opening its first showrooms there in the 4th quarter of 2024. “The company will begin construction of showrooms in three major areas, the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Kansai metropolitan area and the Tokai Line, in the fourth quarter of this year,” CnEVPost writes. They also point out that BYD is the only other Chinese EV maker selling cars in Japan.
Zeekr is already in 30 different countries worldwide, as of the end of July, but it plans to make it into 50 markets by the end of the year. That’s a massive rollout across the globe.
For other recent Zeekr news, see:
Zeekr Reaches 300,000 Sales, & Fastest Charging In World!
Robotaxi from Waymo + Zeekr Makes It To San Francisco.
ZEEKR 009 Is Just Qilin It — Record Fast-Charging In Under 11 Minutes.
Zeekr Begins Big Push into 6 European Countries
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