BYD’s factory in Camaçari, Bahia, is moving toward more complete vehicle production in Brazil, with construction of its welding and paint facilities finished and operational testing underway. The site is marking its first year of operation. BYD plans to begin building its first fully Brazil-made vehicles in early 2027, with metal panels pressed, welded and painted at the complex.
The locally produced lineup is expected to include the Mako hybrid pickup, which BYD plans to make exclusively in Brazil, as well as the Dolphin Mini, King, Song Pro and Atto 2. Those four models are currently assembled at the site using bodies that are formed and painted in China. The shift to more local manufacturing is intended to reduce reliance on imported vehicles.
The plant currently has capacity for 150,000 vehicles a year, and its facilities are being readied for a planned increase to 300,000, serving both domestic demand and exports. BYD says it employs 9,000 people directly, about 90% of them from Bahia. With production running on two shifts and preparations underway for a third, the company expects to hire another 500 workers for paint and stamping operations by year-end, bringing the workforce to 10,000. Its longer-term plan anticipates as many as 20,000 direct and indirect jobs when output reaches the company’s 600,000-vehicle annual target.