According to the go-to shipping logistical data platform Esgian, we can identify the delivery pattern of the #BYD #ExplorerOne #PCTC vessel in Europe as part of its second voyage here, having previously docked in the old continent during February 2024.
The 7,000 CEU capacity vessel arrived in Las Palmas with a draught load of 95%, according to the logistical platform (although that takes into the fact ballast water is part of the draught measurement but gives an indication to load levels), suggesting the ship was likely close to its 7,000 capacity (previous journey saw a load of 6,000). According to FVL personnel we have spoken to, a stop at the Spanish Canary Islands en route to mainland Europe is not uncommon in the summer months and likely includes rental vehicles for the summer season.
The next stop was Northern Spain, where we learned that 1,000 #PHEV BYD Seal-U SUVs had been unloaded. This is significant as it may indicate the Chinese are switching their short-term priority to non-tariff impacted models (PHEVs) with the #BEV tariff increase being retroactively introduced from July 5th, if passed by EU member states later this autumn: if not enough members form a qualified majority against the new levels! 🇪🇸
The third stop, the UK, was the maiden visit by the BYD vessel here 🇬🇧
This was also significant as the over 1,000 models unloaded here, as confirmed by an employee from the Associated British Ports, aren't subject to the EU tariff increase, translating to larger margin vehicles for the Chinese company. With the nature of the UK being a right-hand-drive market, however, we may need to wait slightly longer to see if Sino-companies will prioritise this market, given the lag from production to shipping to delivery
The next two stops, Rotterdam and Bremerhaven, saw the greatest reduction in the "draught" of the ship according to the Esgian Shipping platform which suggests the bulk of the shipment, with likely around 4,000 models onboard being delivered here 🇳🇱 🇩🇪
Finally, the long port time in Bremerhaven (>100 hours) suggests a large backload is being loaded for the return journey to Asia. Although we have been informed that doesn't necessarily mean passenger cars but is more likely to include a high proportion of heavy agricultural vehicles. However, this doesn't automatically mean a backload to China as the vessel may still make another stop in Europe on its return or unload at a location back to China, such as Port Loius, where some of the load may be loaded into another vessel being transferred to other markets such as Australia etc. 🇨🇳 🇦🇺
More insights and nuanced background information checks like this can be found each month in our European Electric Car Study, which gives guidance on how the market REALLY IS PERFORMING and gives more planning security with reliable, holistic reinforced information
All of that information, and I managed to get a test of an impressive BYD Seal into a packed morning schedule
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9moStian Omli BTW, you could be a great travel commentator too! 😀