Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has launched the first car carrier to export domestically manufactured cars to Europe. The car carrier was constructed at Yantai CIMS Raffles Shipyard and delivered at the end of 2023. The vessel， BYD EXPLORER NO 1， is registered in Liberia and operated by Zodiac Maritime.

BYD EXPLORER NO 1 left the Yanti Port Ro-Ro terminal on January 11 and traveled to Shenzhen Xiaomo Port to load trucks before sailing to Europe. BYD EXPLORER NO 1 is a 19，800 dwt vessel， 199.9 meters in length and 38 meters in width， and has a design draft of 8.6 meters design draft to accommodate 7000 vehicles. The vessel has a speed of 19 knots and is equipped with two large LNG tanks to cover 15，800 miles. The design incorporates several energy-saving features and uses aerodynamic and hydrodynamic to optimize the hull line.

Although BYD has referred to the ship as the first in its fleet， it has not disclosed any plans for future expansion. Chinese media reports had earlier indicated that an order of at least one sister ship and four more ships would be placed.

BYD sales exceeded three million EVs in 2023， ranking them in the top 10 globally. Along with other significant Chinese automakers， BYD has been increasing its exports and utilizing charter vessels. Earlier this month， the US joint venture SAIC -GM -Wuling Automobiles also started its first export to Mexico by transporting 500 compact SUVs as a part of its inaugural shipment from China.