My Journey To Brazil To See The Fast Rise Of Chinese language Vehicles, Half 2: Supplier Visits

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To learn the market overview, see half 1 of this text right here. I visited Leapmotor, BYD, Nice Wall Motors, and Geely sellers in Sao Paulo.

Leapmotor

The primary supplier I visited was Leapmotor. Leapmotor, the Chinese language EV maker offered overseas via Stellantis, entered Brazil in late 2025 with the C10 battery SUV and a range-extended “ultra-hybrid.” By August 2026, the C10 held 51.3% of enormous electric-SUV gross sales, and the newer B10 already made up 23% of the model’s registrations. In September, the B10 REEV arrived at R$179,990, with electrical drive and as much as 900 km mixed vary. Leapmotor is now a top-ten EV model, with native meeting deliberate in Goiana.

I drove the BEV, however don’t have rather a lot to say in regards to the driving impressions. They made me maintain it in Eco mode and I didn’t know the best way to set it to heavy regen. So it had no energy and I used to be pretty distracted having to cope with the heavy visitors and consistently shifting from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal. I don’t blame the automotive for that, the automotive will be arrange for one pedal, I simply couldn’t get it completed with the language barrier.

BYD

BYD is now a top-tier vendor in Brazil. In September 2026, it completed fourth amongst manufacturers, with about 22,000 registrations, forward of Hyundai and Toyota. The Dolphin Mini turned the primary electrical automotive within the nationwide prime three, at 9,385 models. The King plug-in handed the Toyota Corolla in August and offered 1,666 vehicles in September, in opposition to 475 Corollas. By way of August, BYD had already crushed its full 2025 quantity.

Native construct is underway in Camaçari, Bahia. The plant, opened in October 2025, is BYD’s largest outdoors of Asia, price R$ 5.5 billion, and may make 150,000 automobiles a yr, with a later goal of 600,000. It already assembles the Dolphin Mini, King, and Music Professional, and employs 8,500 individuals, with welding, paint, and stamping due by year-end.

Mike purchased a Dolphin Mini (known as the Seagull in some markets) for a few years and loves it. He might get one other, or perhaps the Geely EX2.

BYD has extra energy, higher gasoline financial system, 120 km of all-electric vary, and a 6 yr guarantee! And it’s 20,000 much less (about $4,000 much less). What does Toyota have? A great popularity, however that solely lasts so lengthy. The King is now outselling the Corolla!

After considering a bit of extra about his state of affairs (he’s now an empty nester, his youngsters are grown up), he may get one other small low cost EV.

Mike additionally heard good issues in regards to the Atto 2 (which hadn’t arrived but on the supplier I visited). The Atto 2 is BYD’s compact plug-in SUV, in-built Camaçari from about R$150,000 ($29,000). SKD meeting began by July 2026, forward of September deliveries. It sits above the Dolphin hatch and under the Music Professional, sharing that mannequin’s flex hybrid with 110 km of electrical vary. Mike thinks it is going to promote like hotcakes, since no person has a plug-in hybrid at that value. You may get pure EVs for about $5,000 much less, which is nice for a metropolis automotive, however with Brazil’s poor charging, you want a plug-in if you wish to journey with out vary nervousness.

Nice Wall Motors

GWM is now a top-10 model in Brazil. In September 2026, the Haval H6 logged about 6,400 gross sales and led retail SUVs, forward of the Volkswagen Tera and T-Cross. By way of mid-August, the model had already handed its full 2025 complete. It builds the flex-hybrid H6, the H9, and the Poer P30 pickup in Iracemápolis, São Paulo, its first Latin American plant, rated at 50,000 a yr and aiming for full capability in 2027.

The electrical aspect is the Ora 03, offered elsewhere because the Ora Good Cat. Launched in Brazil in 2023, it’s a 171 hp hatch with a 58 kWh battery and 315 km of Inmetro vary. In June 2026, GWM reduce it to R$149,990, beneath the BYD Dolphin GS. It’s a area of interest vendor subsequent to the H6. I wished to see the Ora 03, however they have been offered out, they only had footage of them.

Geely

I used to be most excited to see Geely vehicles since they’re doing so effectively globally. Geely additionally owns Polestar, Volvo, and Zeekr, amongst different minor manufacturers. I used to be impressed general, however didn’t just like the aesthetics — the vehicles have been technically nice, however want a greater inside designer in my view.

Geely entered Brazil in 2025 and acquired 26.4% of Renault do Brasil, committing R$5.8 billion to the Ayrton Senna plant in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná. The plug-in EX5 EM-i started native manufacturing in September 2026, with gross sales due in November. The electrical EX2 hatch, launched in November 2025, begins manufacturing there in December. It’s the nation’s second-best-selling low cost EV, at about R$124,600 with 289 km of Inmetro vary. Month-to-month gross sales peaked close to 5,800 in August, then fell to about 2,700 in September. 12 months-to-date quantity is roughly 26,500.

Conclusion

The supplier visits level to the following section of Brazil’s automotive market, not only a gross sales snapshot. Leapmotor’s range-extended C10 and B10 already lead massive electrical SUVs, and deliberate meeting in Goiana would flip a Stellantis import into an area product for drivers who need electrical drive with out relying on chargers.

BYD is furthest alongside. Camaçari, opened in October 2025, already builds the Dolphin Mini, King, and Music Professional, with welding, paint, and stamping due by year-end and a path from 150,000 to 600,000 models a yr. The King has overtaken the Corolla. The Atto 2, a flex plug-in from about R$150,000 with 110 km of electrical vary, is the automotive most definitely to promote the place public charging remains to be skinny. Low-cost metropolis EVs will maintain successful day by day use. Plug-ins will take the journeys.

GWM’s Iracemápolis plant is heading for its 50,000-unit capability in 2027, led by the flex Haval H6. Geely, via a 26.4% stake in Renault do Brasil, begins EX5 manufacturing now and the EX2 in December. The race is shifting from imports to native factories.

Disclosure: I’m a shareholder in Tesla [TSLA] and XPeng [XPEV]. However I supply no funding recommendation of any type right here.