You probably know BYD as the Chinese auto giant dropping extreme performance cars and market-dominating affordable EVs. Did you know it also makes commercial vehicles that haul cargo in more than 100 countries?
It's now taking the fight to Tesla in Europe, with the launch of its sharp new flagship truck, the ETT 44.
This is a heavy-duty 4×2 electric tractor that can manage a 44-tonne payload (the maximum allowed on European roads). Its powertrain puts out 733 hp under rated conditions, and hits 986 hp at its peak.
Unveiled this week at the IAA Transportation 2026 trade fair in Hanover, Germany, the ETT 44 comes in two battery configurations, with the larger 651-kWh battery-equipped variant boasting 373 miles (600 km) on a full charge.
Operating on an 851-volt architecture, this can take advantage of BYD's Megawatt chargers to juice up at 1.5 MW and go from 20%-80% in just 20 minutes. That's 248 miles (400 km) of range in less than half a driver's mandatory break in Europe.
The company's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade Battery gets a standard warranty of 10 years or approximately 746,000 miles – a couple of years more than the batteries from Scania and Volvo. This is the same type that's used in BYD's cars with long, flat cells; its design is said to allow for safe operation beyond 5,000 charge cycles, and can survive high temperatures and impact.
This model has been awarded a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It'll max out at 56 mph (90 km/h), and has 12 ADAS features to make driving easier and avoid collisions. That includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and blind spot detection.
At the same show, Tesla announced it's bringing its Semi tractor to Europe with deliveries starting late next year, and plans to install more than 100 Megacharger stalls across the region.
To that end, the company is expanding its production facility in Nevada to roll out 52,000 trucks a year.
While the Europe-bound Semi features largely the same tech as the domestic model, it gets different equipment to meet European regulatory requirements – things like lighting and mirrors.
And while the Semi is available in two battery capacity variants in the US, Europe will only get the lower-end standard range variant.
This tri-motor-powered model will come in at under 20,000 lb (9,072 kg), haul a 40-ton payload, and cover 325 miles (523 km) on a full charge. A Tesla Megacharger will deliver 60% of its capacity in 30 minutes, while a 120 kW Basecharger will do the same amount in four hours.
As such, BYD's offering marginally beats it on range, towing capacity and charge time. This variant of Tesla's Semi costs about US$260,000 stateside, and is likely going to be just a bit more in Europe. The ETT 44 is expected to start at around €250,000 (US$288,720), so the two trucks will compete closely on price.
Beyond specs, BYD could gain a significant edge over Tesla here with its Cost of Mobility philosophy. The company helps fleet owners with financing and charging infrastructure, so it's easier to manage these vehicles over time and deal with a single firm for everything.
BYD is slated to begin producing the ETT 44 in China later this year, but also plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Europe to serve this market. With that, it'll be well positioned to take on Tesla in the semi business – and maybe even incumbents like Mercedes and Volvo over time.
Source: BYD
