Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- BYD’s plant for the production of hybrid cars and electric vehicles will open in June 2024, Spot reported, citing the press service of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan.

The plant will be located on the territory of the Jizzakh free economic zone. At the first stage, the production capacity of the plant will be 50,000 units of cars. It is planned to produce three car models - BYD Chazor and BYD Song Plus Dm-1 using the small-knot assembly (CKD) method.

It is expected that the level of localization will gradually increase as the number of electric vehicles produced increases.

Uzavtosanoat and the Chinese BYD Auto agreed to organize the production of full-cycle cars in Uzbekistan back in August 2022.

In December 2022, the joint venture BYD Uzbekistan Factory was created, in the authorized capital of which Uzavtosanoat owns 60%, and BYD Europe B.V. (Netherlands) - 40%.

In September 2023, an agreement on the implementation of the project was signed between the government of Uzbekistan and the investor. The BYD brand has been officially represented in Uzbekistan since the beginning of 2023.

In March 2024, BYD asked the government of Uzbekistan to limit “disorderly” imports of electric and hybrid vehicles. This is because privately imported models are not adapted to local climatic and road conditions and do not have an official guarantee.

The President instructed the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade and the Uzavtosanoat company to develop proposals by 1 July to regulate the import of electric and hybrid cars under the BYD brand in accordance with current legislation, including competition law, as well as the principles of the World Trade Organization.

In 2023, 8,948 BYD vehicles were imported to Uzbekistan for a total of US$291 million.