At the IAA Transportation Show in Hanover, BYD parked a 44-ton electric tractor on its stand and quietly printed the number that could reshape European trucking: a 10-year, 1.2-million-kilometer battery warranty. That single line of small print tackles the question fleet managers have been afraid to ask — what happens to an electric semi's resale value in year six? — and it is only possible because BYD builds its own blade battery cells, motors, and power electronics in-house. The ET44 tractor delivers around 740 continuous horsepower with a 1,000-horsepower peak, a 651 kWh battery, roughly 370 miles of range, and megawatt charging that can put back 250 miles in a 20-minute driver break.

But the tractor is only the opening act. BYD's 2027 European lineup runs from 3.5-ton delivery vans all the way up to the 44-ton giant, filling in rigid trucks, 26-ton swap-body versions, and hook-lift models so a fleet can electrify an entire depot on one purchase order, one battery chemistry, and one service contract. Beyond the trucks, BYD is selling the whole depot package — financing, charging hardware, grid-side energy storage, solar canopies, energy management software, and mobile roadside assistance. Executive vice president Stella Li says the long-term plan is to become a European company, building locally to dodge tariffs the way Sinotruk already does at a former MAN plant in Steyr, Austria. Meanwhile the rest of the Hanover floor shows how fast the field is moving: Dongfeng's hydrogen tractor claiming 1,050 miles of range, Skyworth's Z9 targeting one operator supervising 18 autonomous trucks, Pony.ai cutting autonomy hardware costs by 70 percent, Foton's modular Auman Beacon, DeepWay heading to Brazil, and Windrose already delivering a $290,000 electric truck in Texas that matches Tesla's Semi on price. The incumbents — Mercedes eActros 600 and Volvo FH Aero Electric — still have the dealer networks, but in 2027 China starts selling the part of the truck that fleets were actually afraid to buy.