Dealers from the Americas attend the 2025 BYD Americas Dealer Conference in Shengzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Mingxiang)
HANGZHOU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Santiago Guelfi, a Uruguayan auto dealer for China's leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD, beamed with joy as he watched more sleek BYD models zipping through the streets of his home country.
As the CEO of Sadar, a car company that has been active in the Uruguayan auto market for over seven decades, Guelfi voiced strong confidence in the prospects of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sector and expressed hope for deepened cooperation between the two countries in this field.
Guelfi was among nearly 200 dealers from the Americas attending the 2025 BYD Americas Dealer Conference in Shengzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province.
During the five-day event, which runs through April 28, participants engaged in test drives, vehicle displays and business meetings, gaining firsthand experience of China's vibrant NEV industry.
The partnership between BYD and Guelfi's company dates back to 2009, when they signed their first distribution agreement. Since then, Guelfi has witnessed BYD's growing presence and influence in Uruguay's automotive market.
"Electric cars now account for 14 percent of our market, and BYD represents more than half of that share," said Guelfi.
Brazil has also emerged as a standout market for BYD, with 76,700 vehicles sold in 2024, achieving a remarkable year-on-year growth rate of 328 percent. Last year, BYD's overseas sales reached 417,200 units.
"We expect dealers from the Americas to bring more of BYD's new technologies and products globally," said Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD.
Dealers from the Americas attend the 2025 BYD Americas Dealer Conference in Shengzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Mingxiang)
To date, BYD's NEVs have reached over 400 cities across over 100 countries and regions worldwide. In the first quarter of 2025, BYD led pure electric vehicle sales in Brazil and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in Colombia.
In Latin America, BYD's core competitiveness stems from its technical capabilities, localized strategy, and comprehensive product and service offerings.
"BYD is accelerating its global expansion and will establish more R&D and production bases overseas," Li said, adding that this year, BYD aims to sell 5.5 million vehicles globally, with overseas markets playing a key role in driving growth.
Dealers across the Americas shared their enthusiasm for working with Chinese automakers including BYD.
"China is driving the automotive market and is more advanced in EV technology," said Divanildo Pimentel, general manager of Parvi Group in Brazil. "China's steady economic growth year by year gives us confidence to do business there."
"China becomes a tech and innovative giant in EVs, AI and many other fields. We see China as a big and impressive partner. Customers have more confidence in buying Chinese products," said Hector Mena, president of the Mexican Dealer Association.
"The Chinese market is crucial for us. This event gives us a deep dive into BYD's company culture and practices so that we can replicate their success in our country," said Guelfi.
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