Overview
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senior officials attended the Oct. 9 inauguration of BYD’s Camaçari complex, described as the company’s largest facility outside Asia.
- The plant has begun operations using SKD kits and is already shipping vehicles to Brazilian dealerships, with BYD pledging fully nationalized production in 2026.
- Initial capacity is 150,000 vehicles per year, with a second stage targeting 300,000 and the CEO signaling a possible expansion to 600,000 units over time.
- Hiring is underway with 350 workers already on staff and plans to reach roughly 1,800–2,000 in the near term, while government and BYD project up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs at scale.
- Bahia’s governor formalized the renaming of Avenida Henry Ford to Avenida BYD, as domestic automakers and auto‑parts associations criticize SKD tax benefits that BYD defends as essential for its start‑up phase.