Photo: screengrab from the official website of Brasil 247

By Brasil 247 - Chinese automaker BYD Co. Ltd., which recently inaugurated a major electric vehicle plant in Camaçari, Bahia, is expanding its operations in Brazil with a new research and development (R&D) center in Rio de Janeiro, focused on autonomous driving and intelligent fuel technologies. The news was first reported by Brazil Stock Guide.

The announcement was made by Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, standing alongside BYD founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu and vice president Stella Li. The new facility will be located near Galeão International Airport, offering international visitors an immediate look at China's growing industrial presence in Brazil.

"All of BYD's R&D for autonomous driving will be based here in Rio," Paes said on Saturday. "It's a major step forward for innovation in our city," he added.

Strategic expansion and technological innovation

The move follows the recent opening of BYD's Camaçari plant, which was inaugurated in the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Built on the former Ford site in Bahia, the facility represents a $620 million investment and now serves as the company's main manufacturing base in Latin America.

Vice President Stella Li said the Rio R&D hub will adapt BYD's most advanced "intelligent fuel" and flex-fuel hybrid systems to local conditions, working in partnership with Brazilian universities.

"We will bring China's most advanced automotive technology and co-develop it with local R&D teams," Li said.

Symbolism and industrial diplomacy

The choice of Rio de Janeiro carries symbolic and political significance. Mayor Paes previously worked at BYD during his time away from city hall, underscoring a close alignment between municipal policy and Chinese industrial diplomacy.

The investment highlights China's role as Brazil's leading trade and technology partner, showing how Chinese capital is reshaping the country's automotive landscape through innovation, sustainability, and industrial integration.

For BYD, developing local research capacity is a key element of its Latin American expansion, allowing the company to design and test autonomous-driving systems tailored to emerging-market conditions, where traffic and infrastructure differ sharply from those in China and Europe.

A new milestone for Brazil's auto industry

With its R&D center in Rio, BYD consolidates a strong presence in Brazil, combining large-scale production in Bahia with cutting-edge innovation in the Southeast. The project is expected to generate high-skilled jobs, foster collaboration with research institutions, and advance sustainable mobility solutions.

BYD's growing footprint in Brazil underscores the potential of Sino-Brazilian cooperation in the transition toward a low-carbon economy, driven by clean energy, technological innovation, and regional integration.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on October 13, 2025)