BYD Import Checklist for Dealers and Fleets

Before you import a BYD, verify the exact vehicle, not the brochure name. Dealers and fleet buyers lose money when a China-market charging inlet, a locked software region, or a missing document pack is discovered after the deposit. The checklist below is a risk sequence: identify the unit, match it to a first-party specification, confirm charging and software for the destination, then inspect and contract. It does not approve the car for any country, and it does not replace the destination regulator. AutoCN lists BYD on its brand page and can support sourcing research; it does not manufacture BYD vehicles or guarantee registration.

Identify the unit before you discuss price

Ask for the VIN, production date, odometer, body colour, interior code, and the market the car was built for. Then ask for the specification sheet that belongs to that combination, not a generic family PDF. On the AutoCN BYD page, the catalogue includes volume names such as Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Han, Tang, Song, Qin, and Yuan, plus older and commercial names. Those names are a map, not a stock list. The same English name can hide different battery capacities, motor outputs, and equipment. If two quotations use the same name but different VIN prefixes or different connector photos, treat them as different cars.

Write the intended use on the same page: retail, staff fleet, ride-hailing, or parts-and-process trial. A fleet that will fast-charge daily has a different verification burden than a dealer taking one demonstrator. Used units add a battery state-of-health request and a history check. New units add a storage-age check, because a car that left the factory months earlier can still have aged tyres and a flat 12V battery. Do not convert a catalogue photo into an availability claim.

Match powertrain, battery, and naming to the sheet

BYD sells battery-electric and DM-i plug-in hybrid families. The AutoCN brand page describes Blade Battery and DM-i as the company’s published technology labels. Use those labels only as search terms. The facts that matter on a purchase file are the capacity stated on the sheet, the test cycle printed next to any range figure, the motor output, and whether the unit is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or dual motor. CLTC, WLTP, and EPA figures are not interchangeable. If the sheet shows CLTC and the destination public material shows WLTP, record both and do not convert one into the other.

Sub-brands and name changes

Export markets sometimes use different names for the same family, and China-market names can stay on the window label. Confirm whether the quotation is BYD brand, Denza, Fang Cheng Bao, or Yangwang. Those lines are listed as separate brands on AutoCN. A Denza MPV and a volume Seal sedan are not substitutes in a fleet bid. If the exporter cannot explain why a name on the invoice differs from the name on the nameplate, stop and reconcile the documents before any payment instruction.

Charging hardware is a pass-or-fail check

China-market BYD electric cars typically use the GB/T inlet family for AC and DC. Vehicles prepared for many official export markets use the connector family specified for that region, commonly CCS2 in Europe and several other markets. Adapters and protocol converters exist in the accessory trade, but they are not a substitute for a native inlet when the destination registration rule names a connector, and they are not a promise of full charge power. Photograph the inlet on the actual unit. Write the inlet type, the onboard charger rating if stated, and the DC rating if stated. If the seller cannot show the inlet, do not assume CCS2 because the English brochure used a European photo.

Home and depot charging also depend on the inlet and on the cable in the boot. A GB/T portable cable is the wrong kit for a CCS2 or Type 2 depot. Ask what charging accessories travel with the car, and list them as line items. Do not invent a charging time. Time depends on the charger, the battery temperature, and the unit’s own limit. For a fleet depot, the question is whether the car can use the existing posts without an uncertified adapter chain.

Software, language, and connected services

Open the infotainment and record the menu language, map region, radio band, voice-assistant language, and whether the account login expects a Chinese mobile number. Connected features, remote climate, and some driver-assistance functions can be region-locked or can require a local operator that does not exist in your market. That is a product fact, not a workshop defect. If the buyer needs English, Spanish, Arabic, or another language as a default, confirm it on the unit or on a written configuration list. A screenshot from a different car is not evidence.

Over-the-air updates follow the same logic. A China-market account may continue to receive updates that a grey-import unit cannot install, or the reverse. Ask the exporter whether the unit will remain on a manufacturer update channel after export, and treat an unanswered question as “not verified.” Do not tell a retail customer that the car will receive the same updates as an official local car unless the official distributor has said so for that VIN.

Documents, compliance, and what you must not promise

The exporter is responsible for a consistent set of export documents. The importer is responsible for destination legality. Those two jobs are easy to mix in a sales chat and expensive to mix in a customs file. Ask for a document list that names the commercial invoice, packing list, title or cancellation proof as required by the channel, and any inspection certificate the exporter already holds. Then take that list to your own broker or licensed advisor and ask what else the destination requires. Age limits, left- or right-hand drive rules, lighting, emissions, and cyber or radio approvals change by country and by year. This article cannot certify a destination, and neither can a generic exporter email.

If BYD has an official distributor in the destination, that presence tells you which specifications have already been shown to regulators. It does not automatically legalise a China-market VIN that you buy from a third party. Independent imports can still need per-vehicle testing. Write “official presence” and “this VIN” as two different lines. If you cannot verify official presence from the manufacturer or the local distributor, write “not verified” instead of a guessed country list.

Warranty, parts, and aftersales boundaries

Factory warranty often does not travel with a parallel or independent export. Ask in writing whether any coverage remains after the car leaves China and after it is registered abroad. If the answer is no, price independent aftersales into the deal. Do not repeat a China-market warranty slogan as an overseas fact. Battery warranties in particular are market-specific and sometimes tied to authorised service. A fleet that cannot access that network is self-insuring the pack, whether the brochure says so or not.

Parts are the next constraint. High-volume filters, pads, and wiper arms are usually easier to source than body panels and new electronic modules. Ask for the part numbers of the first-year consumables and for a stated lead time, not a verbal “no problem.” AutoCN’s BYD brand page is a research starting point at the BYD brand page. It is not a live parts warehouse. Build the aftersales plan before you sign a multi-unit order.

Unit inspection and contracting sequence

Do not pay a deposit against a name and a colour only. Use the table as the minimum file. Commission a photo-documented inspection on the exact VIN, including the charging inlet, the instrument cluster, the underbody, tyre date codes, and a scan snapshot. For used electric or DM-i units, require a state-of-health reading that names the tool and the date. Compare the inspection to the specification sheet. Only then issue a contract that repeats the VIN, the Incoterm, the document list, and the items that remain “not verified.”

Compare quotations on the same Incoterm and the same specification. Separate the vehicle line from freight, insurance, and destination charges. Freight days and duty rates move, so a past shipment is not a current promise. If a seller will not hold the VIN while you inspect, walk away. A dealer who standardises this sequence can still lose a unit to a destination rule, but that loss happens on paper instead of on a dock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a China-spec BYD usable in a CCS2 market?

Only if the destination allows that specification and you have a charging plan that does not depend on an uncertified adapter story. Official export units for CCS2 markets are typically built with the regional inlet. Photograph the inlet on the VIN you are buying and confirm registration rules with your own advisor.

Which BYD family is safest for a first import?

There is no universally safe family. High-volume names such as Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal, Han, and Tang are easier to research because more specification sheets and inspection photos exist. Low-volume or new names need a slower parts and software check. Choose by the file you can complete, not by popularity.

Does BYD warranty apply after I export the car?

Often it does not transfer. Ask for a written statement on that VIN and that destination. If coverage does not travel, budget local service and do not advertise a factory warranty to retail buyers.

What extra checks apply to a used BYD?

Add a dated battery state-of-health reading, a history and title check appropriate to the channel, and a closer look at tyre age and 12V condition. Used price is not a substitute for those files. DM-i units still have a traction battery that needs the same honesty.

Can AutoCN confirm that my market will register the car?

No. AutoCN can help you research brands and structure a sourcing conversation. Registration sits with the destination authority and your licensed broker. Use the brand page for orientation, then complete the checklist with first-party documents.

Conclusion and next step

A BYD import is a file of matched facts: VIN, specification, inlet, software region, documents, warranty boundary, and inspection. Anything that cannot be verified stays on the page as a gap. That discipline is more useful than a longer model list.

Review the current BYD catalogue orientation on the AutoCN BYD page, compare other makers in the brand center, and use the contact page when you want help assembling a sourcing request. Do not treat those pages as stock, price, or approval evidence.