BYD is teeing up a big European recruitment wave, mapping out a move to roughly 40,000 employees before the decade is out. Executive Vice President Stella Li, who leads the company's overseas business, said the region's headcount will be "absolutely over 40,000 in 2030" and that the company will soon surpass 10,000 people on the ground. That kind of scale would put BYD among the largest non-European auto employers in Europe. As Li told Bloomberg TV at the Paris Motor Show on Monday, "BYD's commitment in Europe is very deep, and it is long term."
Hiring plans reveal how serious a carmaker is about a market. Market Briefs covers the auto trade free every weekday.
Based in Shenzhen, the automaker - currently the global leader in EV production - is shifting from merely exporting to building more within the region. Its first European factory in Hungary is in its final prep stages, with full-scale manufacturing slated for the fourth quarter. After that, BYD plans to locate additional plants in other parts of Europe, and France and Spain are on the shortlist.
European scrutiny of Chinese auto exports is rising. Talks last week between China and the European Union ended in a wide-ranging understanding that would limit the number of hybrid vehicles imported from China. Li said BYD is still evaluating what the new limits mean because the company does not yet have sufficient detail. For recruitment, BYD will draw from automotive and adjacent industries, and may hire employees who have been or could be made redundant at European firms.
Local headcount is what turns an export push into a presence. Join Market Briefs free and follow the expansion.
