China’s BYD launching here in 2021, could build EVs locally in five years

Chinese BYD electric vehicles could be on-sale in Australia early in 2021 and be built here within five years.

That’s the bombshell dropped by a Sydney company called Nexport, which has been best known until now for running a fleet of electric BYD taxis in Sydney’s northern beaches.

Nexport managing director Luke Todd has announced on social media the company has bought 51 hectares of land at Moss Vale south-west of Sydney to build a new production facility for electrified cars, trucks and buses.

Before that is completed, the new Nexport website says BYD passenger cars will start arriving for sale in Australia early in 2021 for prices ranging from $59,000 to $99,000.

Key models thought to be in the frame include the new Han sedan, the Tang and Song Plus – pictured above – SUVs.

BYD – or Build Your Dreams as it is appropriately known in this context – was originally founded in 1995 as a rechargeable battery company and established its auto division in 2002. A public company with backing from renowned investor Warren Buffett, it is China’s largest EV maker.

“We will be brining production back to Australia. We have a five-year road map to bring full production back to Australia,” Todd said in a video on the new Nexport website.

“We will be starting with importing vehicles and doing an engineering upgrade for the Australian market and then over five years we will be producing cars in full in Australia.

“Not only are we bringing new vehicles to Australia but we are launching a new platform called EVdirect which will bring EV cars direct from the manufacturer to the customer.

“We are looking at a complete holistic electric vehicle industry change.

“With Nexport and the work we have done so far and the partners we have we are going  to completely revolutionise electric vehicles in Australia.

“We are not talking about future technology, we have the opportunity to make a real impact now.”

The Nexport website describes the company as “Australia’s leading electric vehicle producer and supplier. With a multi-model platform for EV transport we are leading Australia to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future.”

This is not the first time Todd has been linked with a plan to build BYD EVs in Australia.

In 2019 Nexport partnered with Adelaide-based Fusion Capital – the backers of Brabham Automotive – to form a company called Evant that would import BYD vehicles and eventually build them in South Australia

This deal failed to proceed and Todd and Nexport have been beavering away at the deal that is only just emerging now.

A key backer of this project is Truegreen Impact Group, a venture capitalist focussed on green investments.

On Linkedin Todd is listed as being the CEO of Truegreen Mobility since October. According to the same website he has been MD of Nexport since October 2018. The business address of the two companies in the Sydney CBD is identical.

Todd is also listed on Linkedin as principal adviser to BYD Asia Pacific since January 2019.

Another financial partner that has been linked with Nexport is Macquarie Bank, that was announced as a supporter of a plan to import electric BYD trucks to Australia.

Another company on the Nexport website, Electric Trucks Australia, says it will be doing that from 2021.

Other Nexport-related businesses are Gemilang, a bus body builder; Nexport E-Tech, which is focussed on driver assist systems such as autonomy and 5G connection and EVE Machina, a “creative design centre”.

In a video posted to Linkedin, Todd explained he was a fourth generation bus operator.

“Proudly I feel that I am now going to lead a  company that’s going to see a major transition from combustion vehicles to a much cleaner environmental outcome,” he said.