BYD orders 10 new car carriers to enhance global vehicle exports, expanding its fleet to 18 vessels by 2029 with a capacity of 92,000 CEU.
BYD's Move for 10 New Car Carrier Ships
It has been reported that the Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD has ordered 10 new car carrier ships to support its growth in global vehicle exports. Each of the ships will have a carrying capacity of 9,200 CEU, and it is expected that this will significantly expand the company's maritime vehicle transportation fleet.
According to sources in the maritime sector, the new ships will be built by China Merchants Industry. The construction of the ships is planned to take place at the Jinling and Haimen shipyards, with deliveries expected to occur between 2027 and 2029. However, no information has yet been shared regarding the total cost of the order.
However, there is an important detail: neither BYD nor China Merchants Industry has officially announced the order for the 10 ships so far. The news is based on information from industry sources and maritime publications.
The fleet will increase to 18 ships
With the completion of the new ships, BYD's car carrier fleet is expected to rise from 8 ships to 18 ships.
The 10 new ships will provide a total additional carrying capacity of 92,000 CEU to the fleet. Thus, BYD's total fleet capacity will exceed 130,000 CEU. Here, CEU (Car Equivalent Unit) refers to the ship's carrying capacity based on standard cars. Therefore, 130,000 CEU does not mean that exactly 130,000 cars can be transported at the same time; vehicles of different sizes can occupy different amounts of space on the ship.
The new ships will be Ro-Ro vessels of the PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) type, designed to transport cars and trucks.
BYD's maritime fleet is rapidly growing
In recent years, BYD has begun to take control of its maritime transportation capacity alongside the increase in car exports.
The company's first car carrier, BYD EXPLORER NO.1, began operations in January 2024. Subsequently, Ro-Ro ships with varying capacities were added to the company's own fleet. The BYD SHENZHEN, delivered in 2025, became one of BYD's largest car carriers to date with a capacity of 9,200 CEU.
The BYD SHENZHEN, built by China Merchants Industry, measures 219.9 meters in length, 37.7 meters in width, and has 16 decks. The ship uses an LNG dual-fuel propulsion system and has a carrying capacity of 9,200 standard vehicles.
It is also known that BYD reached an agreement with China Merchants Industry for four additional 9,200 CEU PCTCs in 2023. The BYD SHENZHEN was one of these ships, delivered in 2025.
Export increase raises the need for ship capacity
BYD's new ship investment is directly linked to the recent acceleration in exports by Chinese automotive manufacturers.
According to Reuters data, while China's car exports continued their strong trend in August 2026, overseas sales of BYD and other manufacturers significantly increased. BYD's passenger vehicle exports from China reached 184,000 units in August, marking a 131% year-on-year increase. From January to August, the company's exports totaled approximately 1.127 million vehicles, an 88% increase compared to the same period last year.
One of the reasons for BYD's increased investment in maritime transportation is the congestion in global car carrier ship capacity.
According to industry sources, the rapid growth in car exports is increasing demand for PCTC ships while causing existing tonnage to be insufficient. There have also been significant increases in freight rates for global car carrier ships.
Target of 2.5 million exports by 2027
BYD's move to expand its maritime fleet aligns with the company's goal of further increasing its overseas sales.
According to a Reuters report dated September 8, information from meetings between two major brokerage firms and BYD management indicated that the company aims to export over 2.5 million vehicles by 2027. BYD has not officially confirmed this target.
It was also previously mentioned in a meeting with analysts that BYD expects to increase its monthly overseas shipments to 180,000-200,000 vehicles in the second half of 2026. The company noted that one of the issues hindering export growth is access to sufficient car carrier ships.
Therefore, the order for 10 new PCTCs is seen not only as a move to expand BYD's transportation fleet but also as part of the company's strategy to take greater control of global automotive logistics.
With the delivery of the new ships, BYD is expected to increase its maritime transportation capacity for both exports from China and vehicle shipments from production facilities outside of China.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
