By Brazil Stock Guide – BYD Co. (002594.SZ; 1211.HK) announced Friday (Mar. 13) plans to invest about R$300 million ($60 million) in a research center and automotive testing facility in Rio de Janeiro, expanding its technological footprint in Brazil as the electric-vehicle maker accelerates its global growth.
The project was presented during an event attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes. The complex will be located on a site of more than 180,000 square meters near Galeão International Airport, on Ilha do Governador.
According to the company, construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with the facility scheduled to open in 2028.
The new structure will include infrastructure designed to evaluate speed, power, endurance and durability of vehicles, along with specialized tracks that simulate different driving environments. Plans also include an off-road circuit and a large pool used to test vehicle flotation technology, a feature associated with the company’s engineering development.
BYD said the project is inspired by a similar automotive testing complex it operates in Zhengzhou, China, used to support vehicle development and validation.
Stella Li, BYD’s global executive vice president and CEO of BYD Americas, highlighted Brazil’s growing importance in the company’s international strategy.
“This new center in Rio de Janeiro reinforces the strategic role that Brazil has come to play for us and for the future of electric mobility,” Li said during the announcement.
The company currently employs around 122,000 professionals in research and development worldwide, reflecting the scale of its investment in automotive innovation and electric mobility technologies.
BYD to hire 3,000 more workers at Brazil EV plant
BYD will also hire an additional 3,000 workers for its electric-vehicle manufacturing complex in Camaçari, in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, expanding its operations in Latin America’s largest economy.
The hiring plan was announced Thursday during a meeting in Brasília between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bahia Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues and BYD Executive Vice-President Stella Li, who also serves as CEO for the Americas and Europe. The meeting also included BYD Brazil President Tyler Li, Senior Vice-President Alexandre Baldy, Chief of Staff Rui Costa and Senator Jaques Wagner.
The new hiring wave will more than double the plant’s workforce. About 3,200 employees currently work at the Camaçari complex. Once the new positions are filled, the total will exceed 6,000 workers.
In parallel, roughly 3,500 contractors remain engaged in the construction of the facility, whose first phase was inaugurated in October last year in a ceremony attended by President Lula and BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu.
“We are very proud of the progress of our industrial complex in Bahia. Hiring new employees reinforces BYD’s commitment to Brazil’s economic development, the creation of qualified jobs and the acceleration of electric mobility across the region. We believe in the potential of the Brazilian people,” Stella Li said.
Since the launch of the first phase, the Camaçari plant has produced more than 35,000 vehicles, including the BYD Dolphin Mini, BYD King and BYD Song Pro models. The company plans to begin producing the BYD Song Plus at the site later this year.
At full capacity, the industrial complex is expected to produce up to 600,000 vehicles annually.
“The Camaçari complex is already a milestone for Brazil’s new automotive industry. I say with great pride that Bahia is the heart of BYD in Brazil and it is here that we are building one of the most important electrified vehicle production hubs in the Americas, combining innovation, job creation and industrial development,” said Alexandre Baldy.
Executives and government officials also discussed export opportunities for vehicles produced in Bahia to markets including Argentina and Mexico, as well as other Mercosur countries. BYD is also evaluating potential expansion of sales into European Union markets.
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