This article appeared in the July 2019 (Vol.14, No.7) issue of China Automotive Review (CAR), our monthly publication in English exclusively focused on the Chinese auto industry. If you would like to read this information-packed monthly report on the Chinese automotive market (in PDF format on a paid basis), please send your subscription to us at: sub@cbuauto.com.cn

SHENZHEN – BYD launched its all-new global design center here on June 25, ushering in a "new starting point" for its in-house design in the era of electrified and intelligent mobility.

Featuring a "Black Crystal" design, the new global design center covers a land area of 12,600 square meters, an area equal to nearly two fullsize football fields, and can accommodate 300 designers and 100 external design staff. It will be responsible for the design of cars, rail transit and other transportation options.

The design center gathers the industry's most cutting-edge design tools, such as Italian five-axis processing equipment, which has a 0.025 mm processing accuracy, and can complete a 1:1 clay model in about five working days, as well as German clay-cutting tools that can reduce the previous 1-2 week design modification period to "less than 24 hours." It also features the industry's leading micro-spacing 1.2 mm LED giant curtain, which can achieve a 1:1 contrast between two cars, to create a highly "immersive" VR review experience. A single clay model area of more than 6,000 square meters helps designers review new car models at different distances, heights and angles, enabling final production cars to more closely reflect the beauty of design.

Three internationally renowned design experts will be working at the new global design center, who will bring their unique wealth of experience and creative excellence to create the next generation of BYD vehicles. This includes BYD Global Design Director Wolfgang Egger, who worked on a number of award-winning models as design director for Italian and German luxury automakers. In addition, BYD Global Exterior Design Director JuanMa Lopez previously designed car interiors and exteriors for Italian super car brands and more, while BYD Global Interior Design Director Michele Jauch-Paganetti was responsible for interior design at leading German marques.

Currently, BYD has more than 200 designers from over 10 countries including Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, who are working in different regions around the world. In addition, outstanding students from universities such as the UK's Imperial College of Technology and Coventry University, Germany's University of Pulheim and ArtCenter College of Design in the U.S. will intern at the center.

In recent years, BYD has leapt forward in the field of design, demonstrating these through the launch of a new generation of Tang, Qin Pro, Song Pro and many other models. The E-SEED GT concept car, which was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2019, fuses the expertise of these three design masters, representing the pinnacle of BYD's design.

"Technology is BYD's hard strength, and design will become the soft strength of the company," said Wang Chuanfu, president and chairman of BYD. "Both technology and design must be grasped firmly, to transform BYD's products from being solely powered by 'technology' to leveraging the combined power of 'technology + design'."

The above article appeared in the July 2019 (Vol.14, No.7) issue of China Automotive Review (CAR), our monthly publication in English exclusively focused on the Chinese auto industry.