Typhoon Noul, which swept across Southern China over the weekend, caused significant destruction in the region. One of the victims of the storm was the new energy vehicle manufacturer, BYD. The company's massive industrial base in the Shenshan (Shenzhen-Shantou) Special Cooperation Zone suffered severe damage from the typhoon.
Approximately a week ago, BYD had announced a massive expansion plan for the said facility to meet global demand, initiating a recruitment process for over 9,000 new personnel.
Facilities and Deliveries Affected
No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, but both the production facilities and the brand new vehicles parked at the site awaiting customer delivery were impacted by the storm. Production was temporarily halted due to evacuation orders. This situation will lead to delays in the deliveries of the brand's newly announced SUV models, such as the Da Tang and FCB Ti7.
According to the 3YC User Report, a BYD owner group on China's WeChat platform, two main assembly lines were completely shut down for two days due to the typhoon. Although production has resumed, the vehicle output rate has not yet reached pre-storm levels.
Serious Damage to New Vehicles: To Be Sold to Employees at a Discount
The main damage occurred to brand new vehicles awaiting customer delivery in the open parking lot. Published images show deep scratches, dents, broken windows, and bent body parts on the vehicles. The majority of the damaged fleet consists of Da Tang and Fang Cheng Bao brand's Ti7 SUV models, which were awaiting orders in the high-demand market.
BYD will repair these vehicles but will not deliver them to customers. In line with the general practice of automotive manufacturers in China, the damaged vehicles are planned to be sold to BYD employees at significant discounts.
BYD had recently overcome supply issues with its Blade Battery 2.0 battery packs with the launch of the Seal 08, increasing its delivery speed. However, this unexpected natural disaster has rendered a portion of its ready-for-delivery vehicle fleet unusable and will once again extend customer waiting times.
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