BYD Aims for a 40,000-Strong European Workforce by 2030 and Plans to Recruit Laid-Off Car Workers

BYD is planning a hiring spree in Europe to increase its workforce there to about 40,000 people by the end of the decade, as the Chinese carmaker tries to move from exporting cars to building them in the region. The goal, in the words of Executive Vice President Stella Li, is a European headcount "absolutely over 40,000 in 2030," and she added that BYD was on track to cross the 10,000-employee threshold in the region shortly. The company plans to recruit from the automotive sector and adjacent industries, including workers displaced by layoffs at European manufacturers. For Metaintro readers who build, sell or service cars in Europe, this guide covers what the target really counts, what is happening at the first factory in Hungary, and what two of the current listings on the BYD Europe careers site ask for.

What Did BYD Actually Announce in Paris?

Li, who heads the company’s overseas business, set out the plan in an interview at the Paris Motor Show with Bloomberg TV on Monday, October 12, 2026. The aim is for BYD to evolve from a simple exporter to a major car producer in the region.

The headline is a workforce goal. BYD is preparing for a serious European expansion (translated), with a headcount that it would multiply within a few years (translated).

The hiring talk sits next to factory plans. BYD intends to open additional factories in Europe after its first plant, under construction in Szeged, Hungary, begins mass production, and BYD will try to open a second and a third plant in Europe, Li said.

BYD’s commitment in Europe is very deep, and it is long term, Executive Vice President Stella Li said in an interview at the Paris Motor Show, according to the Bloomberg interview report.

Is This a Count of New Jobs, or Something Smaller?

BYD is on track to cross 10,000 employees in the region shortly, and the plan is to grow its European workforce to 40,000 by 2030, a total headcount rather than a count of new vacancies.

The headcount goal does not reveal how many of the jobs could go to Hungary (translated), and it is not yet possible to say in what proportion the new jobs will appear in production, engineering, research and development or sales (translated).

Are Laid-Off Car Workers Really on BYD’s Hiring List?

BYD would gladly hire workers let go by traditional carmakers (translated), according to Li, which means some jobs lost at German and other European car companies could partly reappear at the Chinese maker (translated).

The remark does not yet mean BYD has struck a concrete agreement with any German carmaker to take on dismissed workers (translated), and it signals the company’s general recruitment plans, not a defined workforce transfer programme (translated).

A direct link between German layoffs and the Hungarian investment cannot yet be put into numbers (translated).

Which European Carmakers Are Cutting Jobs?

In March, Volkswagen set out plans to cut around 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, raising an earlier target as its profit slid. The group had already agreed with unions at the end of 2024 to cut 35,000 jobs by 2030, mostly at its namesake brand (Volkswagen’s earlier job-cut plan), and the extra cuts were to come from premium brands Audi and Porsche as well as Volkswagen’s software subsidiary Cariad.

By March, Volkswagen’s sales in China had slipped behind those of BYD and Geely, and many European carmakers are dealing with cost cutting, plant restructuring and job reductions (translated). That could give BYD access to experienced specialists who previously worked at European carmakers (translated), Hungarian business daily Világgazdaság noted.

What Is Happening at the Szeged Plant in Hungary?

Preparations at the Szeged plant have reached their final stage, and the company expects to start mass production in the fourth quarter (translated), according to Li. BYD is preparing to open the Hungarian plant by the end of this year.

By late January, trial production had started at BYD’s electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Szeged, and Szeged mayor László Botka expects output to ramp up to its planned capacity over several years, in parallel with a gradual increase in employment.

The Szeged factory has also drawn scrutiny beyond its production timeline. Two workers died at the construction site, and China Labor Watch accused the facility of forced labor practices, including workers going without days off and being denied owed pay. Li denied those allegations earlier this year, adding that the company welcomed labor inspectors.

Who Has BYD Hired at Szeged So Far, and Where Do the Workers Come From?

In late January, Botka put BYD’s hiring at the Szeged factory at 960 employees, and around 70 per cent of the workforce are Hungarian, most of them from Szeged. By the end of July, the Szeged plant employed nearly 800 Hungarian workers, according to a BYD statement reported on July 31 (translated), a count of Hungarian staff only.

A key aim of its HR strategy is that the vast majority of jobs are filled by Hungarian workers in the long term (translated), and the company plans to further expand local hiring as the factory gradually enters production and reaches planned capacity (translated). In July, BYD was working on large-scale recruitment and vocational training programmes (translated). It also seeks close cooperation with the Hungarian government and the relevant organisations so that a highly skilled local workforce is available (translated). For workers from outside the EU, the headcount in the group permit that BYD and its construction partners obtained is an overall cap for the preparation and construction phase, not the number of workers actually in Hungary at any one time (translated), and not the plant's final headcount, according to BYD's statement.

In late January, Szeged's unemployment was among the lowest in Hungary at 1.3%, and 52% of students at the city’s vocational training institutions did not live in Szeged. The company is also expecting workers from the wider Szeged region, including the Makó area, as well as from northern Vojvodina, and under a government commitment cross-border commuting is to get a dedicated lane for commuters at the Röszke road border crossing, Botka said. BYD has signed a cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Szeged. The factory will also employ foreign, mainly Asian, guest workers, Botka added.

Where Could the Next BYD Factories Go?

France and Spain are on the shortlist for future facilities, Li said. "France is on the shortlist," in Li’s words at the opening of the Paris Motor Show. She wants people in France to think that BYD is a French company, and the group intends to become a local company in every region of the world.

BYD works with dealer groups in France such as Bymycar, Emil Frey and Bodemer, which handle sales and after-sales service for its vehicles in the country’s main cities. BYD had around 115 dealerships in France in July, and it registered 13,935 passenger vehicles in France in the first half of 2026, up 136% from a year earlier.

Trade rules matter too. Local production in Hungary would let the company sidestep the European Union’s roughly 27% duty on imported battery electric vehicles, and BYD’s long-range plan calls for three assembly plants and a dedicated battery facility in the region. Negotiations between China and the EU produced a deal that included limits on how many hybrid vehicles China can ship into the bloc, and BYD had not yet been able to draw firm conclusions about how the new restrictions would affect it, Li said. Earlier this year, China's SAIC chose Spain for its first European car factory.

We are looking very closely at the possibility of setting up a plant in France, vice-president Stella Li said at the opening of the Paris Motor Show, according to Euronews's report from the Paris Motor Show.

What Do BYD’s Listed Jobs in Europe Look Like?

Applications go through the BYD Europe careers site. Its current open positions include a Supervisor or Senior Patent Engineer in Munich, a Senior or Chief Automotive Designer in Milan and a Customer Program Engineer for Iberia in Madrid, alongside sales, HR, marketing and quality roles in Hoofddorp, Frankfurt and other cities.

The location filter on the careers site lists Szeged and Komárom, as well as German sites including Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, and French sites including Paris, Beauvais and Courbevoie. The openings shown on the careers site home page are mostly sales, service, marketing and support jobs. Jobs at the Szeged plant are posted separately on the BYD Hungary careers site, which lists Szeged roles at BYD Auto Hungary such as Dispatcher, Logistics Assistant and Senior Logistics Specialist.

What Do Two Current German Listings Ask For and Offer?

Two German listings show what BYD asks for in these two roles. The Technical Sales Trainer role, based in Offenbach am Main, trains sales advisers, sales managers and dealer teams on BYD vehicles, battery technology, charging infrastructure, software and connectivity (translated). It asks for at least 5 years of work experience, ideally in automotive, sales, training or product management (translated), plus sound knowledge of modern vehicle technology, electric mobility and charging infrastructure, a passion for developing people and sharing knowledge, strong presentation and communication skills, confidence in front of groups and enjoyment of working with very different audiences, high initiative, willingness to travel, a hands-on mentality and fluent German and English. It is a full-time role.

The Store Manager role in Frankfurt leads and develops the store team, is the contact for staff and coordinates their requests, and handles store figures, contracts and offers, operational problems, customer escalations, delivery coordination, NPS and lead quality, demo cars and the fleet, vehicle availability, order and cleanliness in the store and yard, and commission statements (translated). It asks for several years of experience in a car dealership or automotive sales and several years of leadership experience (translated), along with organisation and problem solving skills, entrepreneurial thinking, communication and conflict resolution skills, decisiveness and assertiveness, a strong customer and service focus and a hands-on mentality.

The Frankfurt listing offers a permanent contract, a company car, holiday and Christmas pay (translated), a Hansefit membership, staff discounts at selected partner companies and a family and friends car leasing scheme, for full-time work of 40 hours a week on site in Frankfurt am Main (translated). Neither the store manager listing nor the trainer listing states a salary.

What This Means for Car Industry Workers in Europe, and What Should You Do Next?

The plan is a headcount goal, not a list of openings. BYD is on track to pass 10,000 staff in Europe shortly and aims for more than 40,000 by 2030, and the target does not reveal how many jobs go to Hungary (translated).

• Watch the right page. Check the BYD Europe careers site for sales, service and office roles, and the BYD Hungary careers site for jobs at the Szeged plant.
• Lead with car experience. Read the full requirements on the Frankfurt store manager listing and the Offenbach trainer listing before you apply, and put the car industry experience that matches them at the top of your CV.
• Brush up on languages. The trainer role asks for fluent German and English (translated), and BYD Europe’s location list runs from Athens and Hoofddorp to Warsaw, Zagreb and Zürich.
• Do not wait for a transfer deal. Li's remark does not yet mean BYD has a concrete agreement with any German carmaker to take on dismissed workers (translated), so apply directly for the roles that fit you.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many people does BYD want to employ in Europe?

A: BYD aims to increase its workforce there to about 40,000 people by the end of the decade, which is a total headcount goal and not a count of new job openings.

Q: Will BYD hire workers laid off by other carmakers?

A: The company plans to recruit from the car industry and other sectors, including workers displaced by layoffs at European manufacturers, but the remark does not yet mean BYD has a concrete agreement with any German carmaker to take on dismissed workers (translated).

Q: Where do I apply for BYD jobs in Europe?

A: Openings across Europe are posted on the BYD Europe careers site, and jobs at the Szeged plant in Hungary are posted on the BYD Hungary careers site.

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