BYD opens dealership in London's Canary Wharf

Chinese automaker BYD opened a new dealership in East London's Canary Wharf on Monday, carving out a presence in one of the United Kingdom capital's main financial districts and marking the company's third London outlet.

The showroom currently features three new-energy vehicle, or NEV, models, including a BYD Seal, a pure electric sporty sedan, a BYD ATTO 3, which is a compact electric crossover sport utility vehicle, and the electric hatchback BYD Dolphin.

All BYD models for overseas markets will be showcased and sold at the Canary Wharf dealership in the future, according to the company.

Addressing attendees at the opening ceremony, Ge Hongde, the country manager of BYD UK and Ireland, reflected on the journey of the brand in the UK since it entered the market in 2013 with its pure-electric buses.

Today, a fleet of around 2,000 BYD electric buses ply UK streets, and the company has also become a leading energy storage supplier, he said.

According to a news release issued by the NEV and battery manufacturer, an all-electric double-decker bus, designed specifically for London, was also unveiled in May. The model, named BD11, will enter service later this year.

The BD11 is equipped with new blade batteries, an iconic innovation of BYD, which have improved battery safety and energy density, with a "market-leading" battery capacity of up to 532 kWh, the release said.

"We understand the UK government is really aggressive with its zero-emission vehicle transition policy, and we are here to help. We are here to cool the earth for one degree," Ge said.

The new store was launched in partnership with China Harmony Auto Holding, a comprehensive automobile dealership group.

Geetan Jessen, general manager of Harmony Auto UK, said the opening of the store symbolizes the commitment that BYD and Harmony Auto share to create a greener future.

"We encourage everyone to be interactive with BYD as we go hand-in-hand to reduce carbon emissions. Here, every BYD vehicle is not just a means of transportation but also represents promises of a better, greener future," he said.

Commenting on the "overcapacity" narratives that some Western media have repeating recently, Jessen pointed out that the whole intention of production has never been about dumping cars.

"We are not dumping cars, but we have people who really want to drive energy transition," he said. "And we are not pushing into the market. We find that there is a big demand for BYD products here."