BYD has announced the appointment of Motor Distributors Limited (MDL), the leading Irish motor vehicles distributor based on Dublin’s Naas Road, as its National Dealer+ Partner in the Republic of Ireland.

Standing for ‘Build Your Dreams’, BYD is a world leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles. Describing itself as ‘a global innovator of pioneering battery technology, and creator of some of the world’s most technologically advanced electric vehicles’, BYD has held top place in China, for sales of new energy passenger vehicles, for 10 years in a row.

Under their new strategic partnership, MDL has been assigned responsibility for national distribution and localised customer support, for BYD’s innovative eco-friendly range of electric cars and light commercial vehicles, ahead of the arrival into Ireland of its passenger cars this year.

The announcement of MDL’s appointment was made at a formal contract signing event, held at BYD global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, in the presence of MDL chief executive, Paddy Finnegan.

Impressed by what he termed ‘the many aspects of vehicle design, production and operation on which BYD places importance, not least those intended to reduce global warming and eliminate the use in production of vital minerals’, Mr. Finnegan said that MDL is “proud to partner with BYD, as their business partner in the Republic of Ireland.

The announcement is one that will lead to the creation of an estimated 150 additional jobs, bringing total employment within MDL to 450 approximately.  These will include sales, technical and customer support roles, for which recruitment will shortly begin.

In parallel, arrangements are already in hand for the arrival of vehicles into Ireland and for the provision of technical, spare parts, distribution and other customer support structures, in addition to customer-facing functions in marketing and sales.