Guide · 2026
BYD in Switzerland 2026: Prices, Warranty, Homologation
BYD has become, in just over a year, the most visible Chinese brand on the Swiss market: the only brand in the group to sell directly rather than through a third-party importer, it has almost caught up with Tesla in registrations in the first half of 2026. Unlike the European Union, which introduced a specific countervailing duty of 17% on imported BYD vehicles at the end of 2024, Switzerland has applied no customs duty on Chinese vehicles since January 1, 2024 — only the 8.1% VAT is added to the list price. Here is the exact state of the BYD file in Switzerland: range, prices, warranty, and supporting sources.
BYD at a Glance
BYD (Build Your Dreams) was founded in 2003 in Shenzhen, where the group keeps its headquarters. Originally a battery manufacturer, the company established itself in the automotive industry to the point of becoming, in 2025, the world's top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer: 4.6 million electrified vehicles sold worldwide over the year, including 2.26 million fully electric, a growth of nearly 28% that allowed it to overtake Tesla for the first time.
In Switzerland, BYD stands out through a sales model unique among the Chinese brands present on the market: no independent importer between the manufacturer and the buyer. The BYD Switzerland subsidiary directly runs the brand and entrusts physical distribution — sales, test drives, delivery, after-sales service — to the Galliker Carplanet group under a partnership signed in June 2025. This is a structural difference from MG (MG Motor Switzerland) or XPeng (Hedin Distribution): at BYD, the manufacturer remains responsible end-to-end for the Swiss customer experience.
For the buyer, this vertical integration concretely changes the purchasing experience: the price shown on the BYD configurator is the price paid, without the negotiating margin typical of an independent importer, and range or pricing changes reach the Swiss customer faster than with brands distributed through an intermediary.
BYD Models Available in Switzerland and Their Prices
Four models make up the BYD range in Switzerland in mid-2026. The BYD Seal, an electric sedan, is offered from CHF 48,990 for the rear-wheel-drive Design version, up to CHF 53,990 for the all-wheel-drive Excellence; the latter develops a combined output of 390 kW (530 hp), sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and claims up to 570 km of WLTP range with its 82.5 kWh Blade battery. The Sealion 7 SUV starts at CHF 49,990 in Comfort trim (482 km WLTP) and rises to CHF 60,990 for the Excellence AWD (390 kW, 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, up to 502 km WLTP, 91.3 kWh battery).
The Dolphin Surf, an electric city car and the brand's entry-level model, remains at CHF 20,990 with a claimed range of up to 507 km on the urban WLTP cycle and a fast charge from 30 to 80% in 22 minutes. The Seal U DM-i, a plug-in hybrid SUV, rounds out the range from CHF 42,990 (Boost), CHF 46,990 (Comfort), or CHF 49,990 (Design): over 70 km of all-electric range, up to 1,080 km of combined WLTP range, and a claimed fuel consumption of 6 l/100 km once the battery is depleted.
These list prices, recorded in July 2026 on the official byd.com/fr-ch configurator, are noticeably higher than those displayed at the brand's launch in Switzerland in spring 2025: the Seal and the Sealion 7, in particular, have seen their entry price rise by several thousand francs since their launch pricing. Always check the current price on the manufacturer's configurator before committing — it is the only authoritative source.
BYD Warranty: What Is Covered
BYD applies one of the longest warranty policies in the Swiss automotive market. On the electric range, the vehicle is covered for up to 8 years or 200,000 km depending on the component, the Blade battery for up to 8 years or 250,000 km with a guaranteed state of health (SOH) of at least 70% — a 250,000 km extension announced by BYD on January 19, 2026 and applicable to the entire electric and hybrid range already on the road, including in Switzerland. The electric motor carries an 8-year or 150,000 km warranty, and the body a 12-year anti-perforation corrosion warranty with no mileage limit.
On the Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid, the conditions announced at launch were slightly different: 6 years or 150,000 km on the vehicle and 8 years or 200,000 km on the battery (minimum 70% SOH) — to be reconfirmed model by model on the BYD brand page at the time of purchase, as conditions can vary between the electric and hybrid ranges. In any case, these durations far exceed Swiss market standards, where 2 to 3 years remains the norm among mainstream brands.
Homologation and Customs: Why BYD Is Cheaper in Switzerland than in the EU
Switzerland's main advantage is customs-related. At the end of 2024, the European Union introduced specific countervailing duties on electric vehicles manufactured in China, to counter what it describes as unfair state subsidies. For BYD specifically, this duty stands at 17.0%, set by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754, applicable since October 30, 2024 — it is added to the base 10% customs duty already in force on all imported vehicles, for a combined total that can reach 27% before even local VAT (19 to 25% depending on the member state).
Switzerland, outside the European Union, does not take part in this mechanism. It abolished all its industrial customs duties — including for automobiles — on January 1, 2024, a decision by the Federal Council confirmed by Parliament in 2021, in addition to the free trade agreement linking Switzerland and China since 2014. A BYD imported into Switzerland therefore only pays the Swiss VAT of 8.1%, compared to a cumulative tax burden that can exceed 40% in some EU countries for the same vehicle. It is this customs differential — not a difference in technical specification — that explains most of the price gap between the same BYD model sold in Zurich and in Lyon.
On the technical side, precisely, the BYDs sold in Switzerland are not reimported “China-spec” vehicles: they are homologated for the European market, with a CCS charging port (the European standard, different from the GB/T port used in China), an interface in French, German, or Italian, and a fully applicable manufacturer warranty. A direct parallel import from China — outside the BYD Switzerland network — instead exposes buyers to compliance costs and a warranty that is not automatically recognized by the official Swiss network.
After-Sales Service and Network
Maintenance, repairs, and warranty processing go through the network of BYD's distribution partner in Switzerland, the Galliker Carplanet group, which opened its first sales and service points in Aarburg, Bellach, and Lucerne starting in July 2025. BYD announces a continuous expansion of this network across the country, with a stated goal of reaching around fifty sales points by the end of 2026 — a figure to be treated as a target, to be verified at the time of purchase, since the pace of expansion of a growing network can vary.
To find the authorized garage closest to you at the time of your purchase, it is best to check directly the configurator or dealer locator on byd.com/fr-ch: the network changes quarter after quarter, and a fixed list here would quickly become outdated.
BYD vs Tesla in Switzerland: Catching Up in Numbers
The clearest sign of BYD's breakthrough in Switzerland is its comparison with Tesla, the historic benchmark of the Swiss electric market. In the first half of 2026, BYD registered 2,719 vehicles against 3,206 for Tesla, according to figures from Auto-Suisse — a gap narrowed to under 500 units, in a total Swiss market of 116,584 new cars (+3% year-on-year). A year earlier, BYD was starting from a nearly nonexistent base: the brand only officially entered the Swiss market in spring 2025.
This rapid catch-up is part of a global trend: BYD overtook Tesla in global electric vehicle sales as early as 2025 (4.6 million electrified vehicles sold versus 1.64 million for Tesla, down 9% for the second consecutive year). A detailed model-by-model comparison of prices and range will be the subject of an upcoming dedicated article on SinoDrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the BYDs sold in Switzerland reliable? The models marketed here benefit from full European homologation and one of the longest warranties in the Swiss automotive market — up to 8 years on the vehicle and up to 8 years/250,000 km on the battery. BYD also became the world's top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer in 2025, a volume that reflects industrial experience and quality control already proven across millions of vehicles on the road.
What will my BYD be worth on resale? [to verify] — there is not yet a reliable Swiss track record on the depreciation of used BYDs: the brand has only been officially present in the country since spring 2025, less than two years of history. The favorable factors identified are the long warranty, transferable to a second owner, the reputation for durability of the LFP “Blade” batteries, and strong European demand for Chinese electric vehicles (+90% in sales in Europe in 2025). These are positive indicators, not a numerical promise of resale value.
Why does a BYD cost less in Zurich than in Lyon or Munich? Solely because of customs taxation: Switzerland has applied no customs duty on cars since 2024, while the European Union has imposed, since the end of 2024, a 17% countervailing duty specific to BYD, on top of the 10% base duty. The vehicle's technical specifications and warranty, however, are strictly identical on both sides of the border.