BYD unveils new luxury sports car as carmakers vie for attention at China’s largest auto show

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🗞️ Driving the news: Chinese EV giant BYD has unveiled the Denza Z, a high-end luxury sports car, at Auto Shanghai – the country’s largest auto exhibition
• The debut marks a strategic shift for BYD’s Denza brand, once a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, now fully owned by BYD and aimed at challenging Western luxury brands like Porsche and Mercedes

🔭 The context: BYD (see sustainability performance) has overtaken Tesla as the global leader in EV sales, driven by rapid innovation, aggressive pricing, and dominance in the Chinese market
• Its Denza line, launched in Europe earlier this month, represents BYD’s ambition to scale upmarket, building on a portfolio that already includes the ultra-premium Yangwang brand
• The launch comes amid a broader shake-up in the global auto industry, intensified by escalating US-China trade tensions and shifting consumer preferences

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: As one of the largest producers of electric vehicles, BYD’s expansion into the luxury segment could accelerate EV adoption across income brackets, making electrification more mainstream
• However, global protectionism and rising trade barriers risk slowing the international scaling of clean transport technologies, particularly as Chinese firms face mounting tariffs in Western markets

⏭️ What's next: BYD aims to double overseas sales in 2025 to over 800,000 vehicles, leveraging local assembly to offset tariff impacts
• The Denza Z’s launch, alongside Yangwang’s new U8L SUV, showcases BYD’s growing technological sophistication
• Eyes will be on how Western automakers respond to Denza’s entry and whether BYD’s premium offerings can gain traction beyond China amid geopolitical headwinds and regulatory hurdles

💬 One quote: “BYD only knows how to play offense. Their consistent and frequent vehicle and feature launches keep their competitors on their heels,” — Tu Le, Managing Director of Sino Auto Insights

📈 One stat: BYD sold over 1 million new-energy vehicles in Q1 2025 alone — a 60% year-on-year increase — compared to Tesla’s 1.79 million deliveries for all of 2024

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of BYD and its peers Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche

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