BYD is preparing to enter the heavy truck segment in Brazil with an electric tractor unit that has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 60 tons. This model will initially be imported and its use will be focused on port operations and short-distance routes, according to Modern Transport Agency.
Although the vehicle could be the Chinese manufacturer's big news at Fenatran 2026, which will take place in November in São Paulo, participation in the fair has not yet been confirmed. Bruno Paiva, BYD's director of truck and bus chassis sales, informed the publication that if the planning does not materialize, the launch will be carried out in another way this year.
This announcement follows tests conducted by Transporte Moderno in April, when BYD was evaluating ten 6x2 electric tractor units in the state of Bahia. The strategic decision is due to the size of the market, as Paiva stated, 'almost half of the market is heavy vehicle. If you want to be in the truck market, you need to be in the heavy vehicle market.'
Previously, the brand had already established a presence in the Brazilian truck sector with light and medium models, such as T35, T75, T18, and T23. However, BYD does not plan to immediately direct the heavy model towards the mining or agribusiness sectors.
The initial strategy foresees use in routes with predictable characteristics, such as trips between the São Paulo region and ports with return to the starting point. On these routes, the company can control the installation of chargers, which Paiva calls a tailor-made approach. This methodology aims to overcome the main obstacle of heavy vehicle electrification: instead of depending on public infrastructure, the manufacturer manages the recharging process.
Technically, the bet lies in the Blade battery, manufactured with lithium iron phosphate (LFP), which is already used in the company's electric buses in the country. Thanks to its elongated cell format, this battery optimizes package space and, according to BYD, provides higher energy density, a crucial factor in a 60-ton vehicle where every kilogram of battery competes directly with payload. The executive declared: 'With less battery we have more energy capacity.'
The company also mentioned that it works with a charging capacity of up to 360 kW, surpassing the 180 kW attributed by Paiva to some competitors. Regarding national production, this will depend on demand and is fundamental for accessing lines of credit, such as Finame from BNDES, which requires a percentage of local content, citing 60% as a reference. Furthermore, the battery factory in Manaus is undergoing adaptations to support Blade technology and may supply the trucks, reinforcing Paiva's assertion that 'The heart will be Brazilian.'