Although BYD doesn't really have a hold on the Danes, the Chinese believe that they can turn the tide with Denza. Behind the project are 30,000 engineers.
30,000 engineers.
That's what BYD – which just a few years ago was best known for copying Mercedes and BMW – has on its payroll.
Now the sub-brand Denza is coming to Europe. The brand, which is actually a joint venture between Mercedes and BYD, still only has one model to offer – the Z9 GT.
How the car will be marketed in Denmark and what it will cost is still an open question. But we already know that the car will have three electric motors and more than 900 horsepower.
So potential customers shouldn't expect to get the Z9 GT thrown at them. In fact, they should probably expect to pay what looks like a million kroner in Danish currency for a car.
The question is whether Denza can even appeal to Danes. However, the Chinese brand's deputy director Stella Li is convinced that it can beat the European competitors.
Among other things, because Denza itself claims to have 30,000 engineers employed. Overall, the Chinese claim that they have 30 billion kroner to develop cars for.
In addition, you can draw on BYD, which claims to have 150 billion kroner to develop for. And of course more than a million employees.
BYD is also very busy. Last year, we here at Boosted reported that the Chinese had spent a quarter hiring 200,000 new people.
As mentioned, who will sell Denza in Denmark is an open question. However, BYD in Europe has two mandatory requirements.
Dealers are not allowed to sell existing BYD models or competing brands if they want to do anything with the Denza. However, the Chinese believe there is plenty to take off.
By the end of 2025 alone, Denza claims to have 1,000 dealers in Europe. However, the dealers are not allowed to do anything other than sell the cars. Unlike other BYD brands, the Chinese will be responsible for things like production and service themselves.
Where BYD will build the Denza is a separate question. However, the Chinese are building factories in both Hungary and Turkey to avoid the tariffs that the EU has imposed on all cars built in China.
