Global automotive maker BYD is set to expand its footprint in India by opening at least 25 dealership showrooms by mid-2023.
The country's second dealership showroom of BYD India Private Limited, a subsidiary of the China-headquartered BYD, and PPS Motors was inaugurated here on Thursday by the company's senior vice-president Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao and others.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, Mr. Sanjay said BYD was going to inaugurate 11 showrooms by the end of September and 25 to 28 showrooms across India by the end of June 2023.
He said the company's assembly plant in Chennai which could produce about 900 cars per month would cater to the needs of the upcoming showrooms.
Mr. Sanjay said that the penetration level of electric passenger vehicles was currently between 1.5% and 2% as per the industry and at an optimistic level it could go up to 30% by 2030.
"The initial 2% penetration takes time but after that, the pace is expected to pick up like in the case of smartphones," he said.
Customer anxiety about the range and charging infrastructure were the main challenges being faced by the EV industry, he said. There were also concerns about battery technology but BYD had the world's best blade battery technology. "Even if we penetrate a nail into the battery, it does not catch fire. Unlike other manufacturers, BYD is giving warranty up to eight years or five lakh kilometres mileage," he said.
He said BYD tied up with charging partners to provide charging facilities.
The company's first model, e6, a premier electric car with a range of 520 km, was priced at about Rs. 29 lakh ex-showroom. The company would soon launch its SUV, he said.
Another showroom would be opened in Visakhapatnam next week and more cities like Tirupati would be explored later, Mr. Sanjay said.
