Manchester City F.C. partner up with BYD
Published on 11th February 2026 at 12:30
New Energy Vehicle manufacturer BYD has announced an agreement to become the
Official Automotive Partner of Manchester City Football Club.
As well as supplying vehicles to Manchester City, BYD Group will also provide
vehicle charging and energy-storage batteries at City Football Academy, the Club’s
training and development facility and home to the men’s, women’s and academy
teams.
BYD's branding will feature on the training-kit sleeve of the men’s first team and
from next season the women’s first team. In addition, BYD will have presence across
the Etihad Stadium, with the brand’s logo featuring on the headrests of the dug-out
area. One of the company’s cars will also lead the official Manchester City men’s first
team bus into the stadium for Premier League and domestic-cup home fixtures.
The new partnership is the latest step in BYD's strategy to establish a presence in
international football to enhance awareness of the brand, cars and other technology
products. The Company has previously been the official sponsor of the UEFA EURO
2024 and UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025.
Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive Officer at City Football Group commented: “BYD are
global leaders within their field. Leaders in delivering excellence through technology
and innovation. This is why we are so proud to be BYD’s chosen partner and commit
to work together for a better and more sustainable future for the duration of this
multi-year partnership.”
BYD started as a battery manufacturer just over 30 years ago. It made its first New
Energy Vehicle (NEV), the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid, in 2008, and
has since firmly established itself as the global NEV leader, with record sales of both
EVs and Super Hybrid PHEVs, and a market presence in more than 110 countries
and regions. In Ireland BYD has gone from strength to strength since its 2003
arrival, achieving a top-4 position in Ireland’s EV sales league for 2026 with over
1,000 units sold in January alone.
Learning the lingo
Our motor language is now awash with anagrams that endeavour to educate us in the
new technologies that are associated with our changeover from ICE, (N0, not
Donald’s private police, but rather Internal Combustion Engines), to BEV, (Battery
Electric Vehicle), PHEV, (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), and the latest, NEV, (New
Energy Vehicles.
NEV’s are part of Chinese mega-manufacturer BYD and will form part of their
motoring menu in the coming years.
Electric First Approach; The vehicle is designed to run on electricity for most
daily commutes.
Xiaoyun Engine; A highly efficient, specialized, Atkinson-cycle petrol
engine acts mainly as an on-board generator to charge the battery.
EHS Transmission; An Electric Hybrid System (EHS) – manages power
flow from the battery/engine to the wheels, operating in four modes:
EV Mode: The electric motor drives the wheels directly using the battery.
Series Mode: The engine turns a generator to charge the battery or power
the drive motor directly.
Parallel Mode: The engine provides extra power alongside the motor at high
speeds or high-load situations.
Direct Drive Mode: The engine directly drives the wheels at high speeds for
better fuel efficiency.
Blade Battery; This system uses BYD’s Blade Battery Technology for safety,
high energy density, and to provide substantial electric-only range (50-120
km).
Image 1; Pictured at the announcement are Manchester City players, Rayan Cherki,
Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Image 2; BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li and Chief Executive Officer at City
Football Group, Ferran Soriano.
