BYD Shenzhen, World’s Largest Car Carrier Ship, Begins Maiden Voyage

BYD has flagged off the inaugural voyage of its new Shenzhen cargo ship, the world’s largest car carrier with space for 9,200 vehicles. On its first commercial voyage, from Jiangsu in China to Itajai, Brazil, it is carrying over 7,000 cars, all of which are New Energy Vehicles (NEVs). This is the first of three identical ships, all commissioned and owned by BYD to support its global expansion plans. The BYD Shenzhen will soon be joined by the Changsha and Xi’an, each with the same 9,200 car capacity.

BYD operates two other ships of its own, the Hefei and Changzhou, each able to hold 7,000 cars. Both were delivered and put into service in late 2024. Another chartered carrier, the BYD Explorer No 1, has been in operation since early 2024, as per media reports. Two more ships are expected to be commissioned by early 2026.

The new BYD Shenzhen, named after the city where BYD is headquartered and built  by China Merchants Group, is now the world’s biggest roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ship. It was commissioned only a week ago. It is 219.9m long and 37.7m wide, with 16 decks. Its top speed is 19 knots.

It runs on dual fuels, liquid natural gas as well as standard marine fuel, to reduce emissions and improve operational efficiency. Special paint has been used to reduce the effects of drag. BYD has also equipped it with its own battery energy storage system to provide power when docked, which can further reduce environmental impact. 

BYD’s investments in shipping and manufacturing around the world show a massive commitment to global expansion, with all logistics managed in-house. The company announced in January this year that it had shipped 4,272,145 new-energy vehicles globally in 2024, crowning itself the “Chinese automotive market sales champion” and “Global new energy vehicle market sales champion”. Exports accounted for about 10 percent of this figure. The company’s 10 millionth vehicle rolled off the production line in January this year, after having crossed the 7 million, 8 million and 9 million marks in March, July and September 2024 respectively. It also overthrew Tesla to become the world's top EV manufacturer in 2024.

In March this year, BYD stated that it had sold 1,300 units of the Seal in India since its launch a year prior, and 3,100 units of the Atto 3 which was launched in November 2022. The company also sells its Sealion 7 SUV and eMAX 7 MPV in India. It has attempted to set up a manufacturing presence in India, but recently shot down media reports that it had settled on a location in Telangana for its first plant.