BYD began selling units last September, although it will open the showroom in 2025. /BYD
Chinese giant BYD aspires to be the biggest supplier of Electric vehicles in the Salvadoran square when it officially starts operations in January 2025, said Ricardo Mora, BYD’s country manager.
“Of the Salvadoran market we are very optimistic,” said Mora, who acknowledged that electric vehicles still have a way to go. “In El Salvador we’re going to be the number brand in hybrid and electric cars,” he said.
Based in Shenzhen, BYD last week exceeded the sales volume of its U.S. rival Tesla, with operations in the markets of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. BYD began in September with an aggressive advertising campaign and displays in malls of its electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, while the exhibition hall will be ready in the first week of December.
In the first two months of landing in the Salvadoran market, Mora detailed that they have sold four units and have “bad reserves” that will be delivered soon to Salvadoran customers.
Demand has always been stronger with the hybrid, but the demand for electric has impressed us. A lot of interested customers, especially because we have very competitive prices.
Ricardo Mora, BYD country manager
Optimism of the market
BYD’s portfolio includes five models, of which three are electric and two plug-in hybrids with prices ranging from $23,000, in a range similar to quotes for combustion vehicles.
By 2025 it is on the radar to open branches in San Miguel, a booming market in demand for new vehicles, especially in the pick-up segment.
We are optimistic of the segment, the market has accepted it quite a lot. We’ve had very good traffic in our displays. We estimate that we will do very well between this and next year,” the executive added.
The Salvadoran Association of Vehicle Dealers (Asalve) reports that Chinese brands account for 11 percent of sales of new units, which in September totaled 19,400. The trade union points out that 14 suppliers participate in the market.
El Salvador began with electromobility in 2018, but its evolution has been slow, as electrical units – between motorcycles and vehicles – barely represent 0.02 percent of the more than 1.8 million motor vehicles that circulate in the Salvadoran streets.
According to the Road Observatory, from the Fund for the Care of Victims of Transit Accidents (Fonat), as of October there were 452 electric vehicles.
The data:
Loading a battery from an electric vehicle costs between $6 and $7 for a movement autonomy of approximately 400 kilometers, enough to come and go between San Salvador and San Miguel. For its part, with an automatic or standard combustion cart 10 years old you can travel up to 400 kilometers with about 12 gallons of gasoline, which at current prices of the special gallon, of $3.74, would represent $44.
This article has been translated after first appearing in Diario El Mundo