The transport sector is one of the major contributors of emissions. Therefore, we need to electrify everything in the transport sector as soon as practically possible. The passenger vehicle market is one area that is a low hanging fruit. There has been great progress in the quest to electrify the passenger vehicle over the last 10 years in countries like Norway.
The last decade has shown us that the passenger vehicle segment is quite easy to electrify and just needs commitments from the worlds OEMs. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says that there are now over 150 plug-in models available in the UK, accounting for around one in five new cars sold this year! A further 50 models are expected to be launched by the end of 2022, bringing the number of models to 200.
We really need to electrify small passenger vehicles as well as buses all over the world and not just in the developed world. One company that is taking the lead in taking electric passenger vehicles to most parts of the world is BYD. BYD is ramping up production of electric vehicles powered by its revolutionary. Last month, BYD’s factories produced 220,107 NEVs compared with 81,575 NEVs in October 2021. So far in 2022, BYD has produced 1,411,690 NEVs, according to a company announcement.
Mongolia, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia are some of the markets that BYD has announced recently that it is adding several models, including the critically acclaimed Atto 3. BYD already had a presence in some of those markets and it is good to see that it is adding new models to those markets. Now, BYD has just signed a partnership with the, a major automotive dealership in Mauritius.
It’s really good to see BYD is now present in another market in the Southern African Development Community . Already, one could buy BYD passenger and commercial vehicles in. The distributors of BYD in Zimbabwe also have a presence in Zambia. I hope we will soon see BYD vehicles in Zambia as well as all the 16 Member States.