Kazakhstan, Almaty. The official ceremony for the launch of the BYD brand and opening of the BYD Al-Farabi flagship dealership.
Photo by Astana Motors

Chinese engineers have adapted BYD cars for the Kazakhstan market.

The official ceremony to mark the launch of the brand was held in the new dealerships BYD Al-Farabi, BYD Turan, BYD Kuldzhinka, and BYD Mycar Astana in Almaty and Astana at the same time. More than 600 guests took part in the event in those cities, including the first customers, partners of the BYD Kazakhstan distributor (part of Astana Motors), and official representatives of BYD Central Asia.

The entry of the world’s NEV leader into the market has become one of the most anticipated events for the Kazakhstan people. BYD produced over 10 million new energy vehicles and has been breaking sales records in more than 100 countries for three years. In 2024, BYD reported a 41 % growth year on year (4.3 million NEVs), making it the fourth best-selling car-maker after Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford.

Ivan Cao, Managing Director of BYD Central Asia, Alexander Beisembiev, General Director of Almatyelectrotrans, and Nurlan Smagulov, founder of Astana Motors.
Photo by Astana Motors

“The electric vehicle market in Kazakhstan is rapidly developing. BYD is proud to be part of Kazakhstan’s transition to green transportation. We provide comfortable, high-tech cars and are going to expand our model range, introduce innovations for more efficient progress towards a sustainable future in Kazakhstan together with our reliable partner Astana Motors,” said Ivan Cao, Managing Director of BYD Central Asia.

The BYD distributor in Kazakhstan started its operations in January 2025. Early on, the BYD SONG PLUS EV electric crossover, the SONG PLUS DM-i hybrid crossover, and the BYD HAN electric all-wheel drive sedan are presented on the local market. The price for the cars starts from 15.7 million tenge. They come with a warranty of 6 years or 150,000 kilometers, and the Blade battery has an 8-year warranty.

The lithium iron phosphate BYD Blade Battery made of high-strength components is a revolutionary in-house development. In December 2024, the BYD Blade battery received the “Innovation of 2024” award from the British expert organization Electrifying.com. Notably, in the UK, BYD sales increased by 658 % (more than 8700 cars sold) in 2024.

Automotive experts call the Blade battery the safest in the world. It is cobalt-free and has excellent thermal stability, due to which it has no degradation and shows superior performance even in extreme temperatures. In addition, the Blade battery provides enhanced energy density and a long service life.

BYD Al-Farabi dealership, Kazakhstan, Almaty. The first customers of the brand in Kazakhstan.
Photo by Astana Motors

Safety, technology, adaptation to the Kazakhstan market, and economy are the key advantages making BYD cars a preferred choice, as the distributor and official dealers of the brand say.

“BYD is a special brand in Astana Motors’ portfolio, and we set our sights high for strong cooperation with our Chinese colleagues. Astana Motors plans to develop the BYD dealer network throughout the country, delivering high brand standards for the Kazakhstan people. We are open to everyone and officially announce the start of sales of BYD cars in Kazakhstan, and we are ready to provide technical support to our customers,” noted Anton Kushch, Director of BYD Distribution in Kazakhstan.

Official BYD cars have been adapted to the harsh continental climate and roads of Kazakhstan. In particular, they received additional anti-corrosion treatment of the body panels and protection of the underbody against aggressive environments. The settings of the control units have also been adapted, including taking into account the quality of fuel for hybrid versions. That became possible thanks to a group of BYD engineers who visited Kazakhstan multiple times to test cars at different times of the year.

In addition, BYD cars have a multimedia system with an interface in Kazakh and Russian. In the future, local SIM cards can be integrated for Internet access in the car.

BYD SONG PLUS DM-I hybrid crossover.
Photo by Astana Motors

Expanding the BYD model range in Kazakhstan, Astana Motors will focus on plug-in hybrid vehicles equipped with DM-i technology. Thanks to this system, for example, the SONG PLUS DM-i crossover features a number of advantages, such as low fuel consumption (4.7 liters per 100 km) and a long range of 1200 km. The company believes that hybrid vehicles are an opportunity for Kazakhstan to more smoothly switch from internal combustion engine cars to electric cars.

Electric charging station MyCharge at the MEGA Alma-Ata shopping center.
Photo by Astana Motors

One of the highly relevant issues for Kazakhstan is the infrastructure of electric charging stations (ECS). Astana Motors is involved in the development of an ECS network based on safe “smart” technologies from TELD, the leader in this industry in China.

Today, the MyCharge company (part of Astana Motors) operates 16 ECSs in the cities of Konayev, Astana, and Almaty. The ECS network will continue to grow.

More information about BYD cars and authorized dealerships can be found on the official website and by calling Astana Motors’ contact center on 7007.

Source: forbes.kz