BYD has introduced what it calls the world’s first plug-in hybrid compatible with biofuel, launching the system in Brazil in the Song Pro COP30 special edition that will be supplied to the United Nations climate summit.
The powertrain is an evolution of BYD’s DM-i (Dual Mode Intelligent) architecture, which prioritises electric drive while the engine mainly acts as a generator in hybrid operation.
For Brazil, Chinese and Brazilian engineers adapted the 1.5-litre unit to run on any petrol–ethanol blend, reflecting the country’s widespread use of ethanol and aiming to deliver strong performance with high efficiency.
The debut coincided with the inauguration of BYD’s final-assembly plant in Camaçari, Bahia, where the Song Pro is built.
A Song Pro COP30 rolling off the line became BYD’s 14 millionth new-energy vehicle, marked at a ceremony attended by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. BYD will donate 30 COP30 editions for summit duty.
BYD founder and CEO Wang Chuanfu said: “After two years of effort by more than 100 Chinese and Brazilian engineers, today our 14 millionth vehicle rolls off the production line equipped with the world’s first plug-in hybrid engine dedicated to biofuel.
“This is not just a technological breakthrough – it is a green and sustainable solution tailor-made for Brazil.”
The Camaçari complex was completed in 15 months and has initial capacity for 150,000 vehicles a year, rising to 300,000 in a second phase.
Following talks with President Lula, BYD signalled plans to expand to as many as 600,000 units annually.
The site already employs more than 1,500 people and, according to BYD, is Latin America’s largest electric-vehicle production facility as well as the company’s biggest outside Asia.
It would produce key models for regional markets, signalling BYD’s push to localise manufacturing in strategic regions.
