1000 BYD cars were sold by the beginning of this month.
The three brands that already have models for sale in Portugal should be joined by four more by the end of the year. Xpeng, Voyah, Dongfeng and M-Hero are the next Chinese brands to enter the national market, once again through a partnership with Salvador Caetano Auto.
A round number was reached this week by BYD, which arrived in Portugal less than a year ago and has already surpassed a thousand cars sold. The sales achieved “demonstrate the added value and quality of the range (Dolphin, Atto3, Seal, Tang, Han and ETP3) and allow us to project solid growth in 2024”, says Pedro Cordeiro, from BYD Portugal, which is part of the Salvador Caetano Auto group. With more modest sales this year comes MG Motor, with 291 cars sold in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, Salvador Caetano Auto announced, in January, that it will launch the Voyah, Dongfeng and M-Hero brands this year, in the first Iberian partnership with Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of the largest automotive groups in China, founded in 1969.This alliance “lays the foundations for a solid partnership between Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Salvador Caetano Auto, which will allow us to quickly position Dongfeng Motor Corporation brands in Spain and Portugal thanks to the implementation of a more agile strategy, dedicated to each market and focused on the needs of our customers”, according to Sérgio Ribeiro, global CEO of Automotive Distribution.Brake for sale
The development of Chinese car brands does not surprise the National Association of Automotive Commerce and Repair Companies, as they dominate the production of batteries and raw materials such as rare earths. But the bet on Portugal comes at a time when the tram market “is slowing down”, both in Portugal and in the European Union, warns the secretary general of ANECRA. Until now, sales have been boosted by tax incentives which, in Portugal and for companies, involve deducting VAT and not paying separate taxes. A policy adopted by other countries that, at the moment, are backing down. “Germany cut incentives, which led to a slowdown in sales”, says Roberto Gaspar. In Portugal, there is also a slowdown in sales of cars powered by alternative energy, following the results achieved in 2023, in which sales of combustion engines did not reach 50%. For Roberto Gaspar, the costs of these cars (which remain high), as well as the (still limited) network of charging stations, are contributing to a slowdown in the market.
Xiaomi launches first car
Chinese technology company Xiaomi announced, at the end of March, the sale of the first 50,000 electric vehicles 27 minutes after the official launch of the “high-performance and technological sports car”.
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A round number was reached this week by BYD, which arrived in Portugal less than a year ago and has already surpassed a thousand cars sold.
