BYD starts production in Turkey: Seal U DM-i leads Europe push

BYD is strengthening its foothold in Europe and preparing to start production in Turkey, where the brand’s most successful hybrid, the Seal U DM-i, will be the first off the line. The move not only avoids European tariffs, it also shortens delivery times to key markets—an efficient way to turn demand into actual registrations.

The plant in Turkey’s Manisa province becomes BYD’s second European site after the Hungarian factory in Szeged, where assembly of the Dolphin Surf and Atto 3 is set to begin in 2026. The Turkish facility, a roughly $1 billion project, is designed to build up to 150,000 vehicles a year and will serve as a key hub for the Seal U and Seal 6 hybrids, as well as the Sealion 5 electric crossover.

The Seal U DM-i has already led PHEV sales in Europe and in Spain in 2025, and BYD intends to build on that momentum. By tapping Turkey’s trade agreements with the EU, the company sidesteps the 26% tariffs that have been driving up the price of EVs imported from China.

BYD’s European push comes as competition from local brands intensifies, but the manufacturer is leaning on localization and an aggressive pricing strategy. The plants in Hungary and Turkey appear poised to anchor the brand’s next expansion wave across the continent, a strategy that reads as simple and effective: build closer to buyers and move faster.