BEIJING — Chinese electric vehicle powerhouse BYD is accelerating its European push with the launch of its premium sub-brand, Denza, despite ongoing trade friction with the European Union.
The first Denza model to hit Europe will be the Z9GT, a station wagon-style car available in both fully electric and plug-in hybrid versions. BYD unveiled the vehicle Wednesday during Brera Design Week in Milan and confirmed it will arrive in showrooms across Europe in the fourth quarter of 2025. Pricing and specific delivery dates were not disclosed.
Denza was originally created in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler (now Mercedes-Benz Group). While Daimler has since reduced its stake to 10%, BYD revamped the brand in 2021 and has focused its Denza sales within China — until now.
Also See: Top 10 Mind-Blowing Mini Electric Vehicles (EVs) for 2025
Trade Tensions Linger
BYD’s expansion comes amid a tense backdrop: the European Union has imposed 17% tariffs on BYD’s battery electric vehicle imports, citing unfair state subsidies. Chinese and EU officials held talks in Beijing last month to address concerns about supply chain practices in the EV sector.
Still, BYD is moving forward. Alongside the Z9GT, the company plans to launch a second Denza model in Europe — the D9, a seven-seat MPV — though no delivery timeline has been given.
“We’re thrilled to be introducing Denza to European customers, starting here in Milan and accelerating as 2025 progresses,” said Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president.
Global Sales Momentum
BYD has significantly scaled up its global footprint. In the first quarter of 2025, it sold over 206,000 vehicles outside China, more than double the figure from a year earlier. That number alone is nearly half of BYD’s total overseas sales for all of last year.
Financially, the company’s first-quarter revenue surged 86% year-over-year to 8.5 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), driven by record sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs). BYD no longer manufactures traditional gas-powered passenger cars.
In total, the company sold 986,098 NEVs in Q1, with battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales reaching 416,388 units — outpacing Tesla’s 172,754 units sold in China during the same period, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
Competing With Tesla
BYD has positioned itself as a volume leader, offering EVs at a more accessible price point than rivals like Tesla. In 2024, BYD overtook Tesla in total global EV sales, and its aggressive international strategy suggests it’s far from slowing down.
With Denza, BYD is signaling a serious intent to compete not just on affordability, but also in the premium EV segment — and Europe is its next big battleground.
Discover more from Aqila Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
