We're looking to sell 1,200 vehicles a month, says BYD India's senior VP

Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President, BYD India talks to Nitin Kumar about technology, current sales to future goals of the company

Chinese electric carmaker BYD, which delivered 700 vehicles in India last year, is targeting people who are looking to purchase a second or third car as it looks to increase its footprint here. The firm, which unveiled the electronic sedan Seal at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023, plans to launch it by October, Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, senior vice-president, BYD India, tells Nitin Kumar. Edited excerpts:

Q. Why is BYD bullish on the Indian market?

A. Everybody knows that India is going to be a big passenger vehicle (PV) market. In 2022, 3.8 million PVs were sold here, a growth of almost 25 per cent year-on-year. Even if average growth is 6-7 per cent in the coming years, which is more than elsewhere, except China possibly, then 5.5 million vehicles will be sold a year by 2030. India will be the third largest PV market. If electric vehicle (EV) penetration rises to 25-30 per cent, which is optimistic, it would mean one million EV sales by 2030.

Q. What are your targets?

A. Last year, we had only one product, BYD e6, which was primarily aimed at the business-to-business (B2B) segment. We delivered close to 700 vehicles. This year, with all the three models put together, we are looking at 15,000 vehicles. We are looking to sell roughly 1,200 vehicles a month. The Seal will come in October. We will start delivering it in the festival season.

Q. What is the clientele BYD is looking at?

A. With this kind of product, we are looking at people who are looking at a second car, a replacement buy. These are the customers who are looking at an EV to replace their existing premium SUVs and sedans. They already have one or two cars in their household and want a third one, an EV. These are the customers who are coming to our showrooms to test-drive and book the car.

Q. What are your plans in the affordable segment?

A. We will introduce them as soon as the market matures enough to have affordable cars. We will look at how the market progresses or how price points move. Today, 80 per cent of the market is in the Rs 13-18 lakh range, not Rs 5 lakh.

Whenever the markets require it, and when we come to phase-II of our plan, we will explore those kinds of cars. We want to be a technology premium brand till phase-II.

Q. You unveiled the Seal. What differentiates it from your current models?

A. It is a premium electric sedan. It is as good as a sporty looking vehicle with a range of more than 700 km. It comes with cell-to-body technology. The battery is completely integrated with the body chassis. It gives you more safety and rigidity. We wanted to showcase BYD’s strength in technology in EVs.

Q. How many orders have you received for your cars?

A. The e6 is an on-order basis car. We have received around 2,000 bookings for the Atto 3. Its deliveries have started.

Q. What is the production capacity at your plant in Chennai?

A. We can go up to 15,000 units per year with double shifts and increased manpower. 

Q. But this capacity might not suffice going ahead...

A. We will definitely explore facilities in the second phase of expansion, which could be after 2025. In the initial years, we are looking to stabilise the products, technology, and network. In the second phase, we will explore new products and facilities.

Q. Do you plan to manufacture your products completely in India?

A. That will happen in phase-II.

Q. What about manufacturing batteries here?

A. We haven’t thought about that.

Q. How is BYD utilising its alliance with Toyota?

A. It is a global alliance for battery supply and EVs. It is up to Toyota if it wants to use it in India.

Q. How many outlets do you have and how many are in the pipeline?

A. At present, we have 24 outlets across 21 cities. By the end of 2023 we will have 53 outlets.