BYD: One LNG-powered RoRo newbuild launches, another sets on maiden voyage

April 4, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Accelerating its push for global expansion, China’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has launched its latest roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) car carrier, BYD Xi’an.

On April 2, 2025, the company shared three images of two car carriers in the same frame on Weibo—a Chinese microblogging website. BYD revealed it launched Xi’an and said that its next newbuild, BYD Shenzhen, was about to embark on its maiden voyage.

It is understood that BYD Xi’an is the sixth vessel in the company’s fleet. The pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) is named after Xi’an, the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi where the vehicle manufacturer has a factory.

Back in 2022, BYD announced a CNY 5 billion (about $687 million) investment in an eight-ship-strong RoRo fleet. Each ship is capable of transporting more than 7,000 vehicles. Two car carriers were ordered at Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Limited, with the remaining six at CIMC Raffles shipyard.

All newbuilds are equipped with dual-fuel propulsion systems and can use both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional fuel.

BYD Explorer No.1 was delivered to the company in January 2024, becoming the first car carrier built at a Chinese yard to transport domestically produced cars. Its delivery marked the beginning of a new era for China’s auto export industry which is expanding to overseas markets at a fast pace.

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The first unit from the batch was followed by Changzhou, delivered in December 2024. Both BYD Explorer No.1 and BYD Changzhou were ordered by the US-based Zodiac Maritime and leased to BYD. The third ship, BYD Hefei, was launched in January this year as BYD’s first owned PCTC.

The Shenzhen was launched in January 2025, while the next vessel, Changsha, was unveiled last month. These two car carriers have a capacity of 9,200 vehicles.

BYD Shenzhen features a length of 219.9 meters, a width of 37.7 meters, and has a speed of 18.5 knots. Currently, it is believed to be ‘the world’s largest’ car carrier.

The car manufacturer plans to complete its eight-ship fleet by 2026, aiming at achieving an annual shipping capacity of over one million vehicles.