BYD Goes On Hiring Spree — I Wonder Why

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BYD is looking to hire 9,000 people at its Ebu components factory and Xiaomo vehicle manufacturing factory in the Shenshan (Shenzhen-Shantou) Special Cooperation Zone.

One may be wondering, “Wait, aren’t BYD sales down a ton this year?” Yes, they have been, but as we’ve discussed, that’s partly because the company was preparing for big product launches and refreshes. I forget where I saw it recently, but I recall reading that BYD CEO and Chairman Wang Chuanfu said the company hasn’t had enough supply to meet demand. Trying to find that story again, I see mention of this problem with its new Great Tang SUV. It does seem like BYD’s new and refreshed vehicles with ridiculously fast charging are going to be popular.

Still, car sales across China are down a lot this year, and that continues to be the case for BYD, so why does it need to hire thousands of people?

Apparently, it’s specifically because of how many more EVs BYD is selling abroad. We’ve also been reporting on BYD’s skyrocketing exports, and this is reportedly the cause of the hiring spree. “The large-scale expansion of BYD’s workforce in Shenzhen and Shantou is due to the surge in BYD’s overseas sales in recent years,”  Jiemian News writes. CarNewsChina summarizes:

“The recruitment drive covers multiple departments within the Shenshan base:

• BYD 11th division (Xiaomo park): Seeking 4,800 employees for roles such as sheet metal workers, upholstery technicians, and warehouse staff.
• BYD 15th division (Xiaomo park): Seeking 1,200 employees for roles including assembly operators, welding technicians, and foaming technicians.
• BYD 15th division (Ebu park): Seeking 2,000 employees for roles including operators, machine adjusters, and welders.

“The Shenshan BYD Automotive Industrial Park is a critical ‘super factory’ for the company, producing popular mid-to-high-end models such as the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 (FCB Ti7), as well as export-focused models like the Song Plus and Song Pro. Last year, the facility produced over 300,000 vehicles.”

BYD is growing fast across the world, especially as it tries to make up for low sales in China, but also simply because it now offers highly competitive EV models that can disrupt auto markets in South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond.

BYD exports rose by 94.7% year over year in June, recording a whopping 175,349 sales abroad. Expect much more growth to come. The company seems to just be getting started in many markets, with more sitting there waiting for similar disruption. I expect those 9,000 people will soon be pumping out a lot of supplies and cars, and BYD will need to hire more again soon. We’ll see. For now, though, this is a positive sign for growing sales in the coming months.