China’s BYD announced an investment of R$ 300 million for the construction of its first proving ground outside Asia, which will be installed in Rio de Janeiro. The strategic move consolidates Brazil as the automaker’s main research, development and export hub in Latin America, reinforcing the goal of adapting electric and hybrid vehicles to local weather and road conditions.
The main novelty of the investment is the installation of a technological complex in an area of 183 thousand square meters, attached to the international airport of Galeão. According to the promise, the research center will house laboratories and tracks designed to simulate the severe use of automobiles. The choice for the air terminal aims to optimize the logistics of importing components and facilitate the transit of engineers between Brazil and the Chinese headquarters.
Among the planned installations, a low-grip track, essential for the fine calibration of brake and all-wheel drive systems, and a water tank designed to evaluate the flotation and sealing capacity of the vehicles stand out. Local engineering will focus on ensuring greater thermal efficiency of the batteries and improving the dynamic control of the cars under high temperatures.
Export hub in Bahia and new vacancies
In line with the advances in Rio de Janeiro, the BYD plant in Camaçari (BA) will undergo an operational acceleration to become an export hub for the Americas. The Bahian unit will be responsible for supplying strategic Mercosur markets, such as Argentina, in addition to sending batches to Mexico.
To support the plan to export 100 thousand vehicles and enable the opening of a second shift on the assembly line, the brand confirmed the opening of 3,000 new jobs. The hires will double the current staff, bringing the number of staff at the Camaçari complex to 6,000 professionals.
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