Shenzhen Denza New Energy Co., Ltd.,

trading as A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

Denza (), is an

automobile manufacturing The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries ...

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

and

luxury Luxury may refer to: *Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises *Luxury tax, a tax on products not considered essential, such as speedboats or diamonds. **Luxury tax (sports), a ...

plug-in electric vehicle A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) via an detachable power cable to store electrical energy within its onboard rechar ...

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

owned by

BYD Auto BYD Auto Co., Ltd. ( zh, s=比亚迪汽车, p=Bǐyàdí Qìchē) is the Automotive industry, automotive subsidiary of BYD Company, a publicly listed Chinese multinational manufacturing company. It manufactures passenger battery electric vehicle ...

. Two other BYD

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

brands,

Yangwang Yangwang Auto () is a Chinese luxury car, luxury electric car brand owned by BYD Auto and marketed by Shenzhen Yangwang Auto Sales Co., Ltd. The brand was introduced in January 2023. In the Chinese market, Yangwang vehicles occupies the price ra ...

and

Fangchengbao Fangchengbao (), also spelled Fang Cheng Bao is a Chinese Luxury car, luxury electric car brand owned by BYD Auto and marketed by Shenzhen Fangchengbao Auto Sales Co., Ltd. BYD also owns trademarks for an English-language variant, Formula Bao. Th ...

, are also

rebadged In the automotive industry, rebadging (also known as badge engineering, an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place) is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. T ...

and sold internationally under the Denza name. Denza was founded in May 2010 as a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

between BYD and

Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

(currently

Mercedes-Benz Group Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

). In late 2014, its first model, the Denza EV was put on sale in selected Chinese cities only. In late 2021, Denza underwent a

restructuring Restructuring or Reframing is the corporate management term for the act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of a company for the purpose of making it more profitable, or better organized for its present needs. ...

as Mercedes-Benz reduced its share to 10%, while BYD held the rest. BYD started investing in new models, such as the D9 MPV, the N7 and N9 SUVs and the Z9 full-size car. In September 2024, Mercedes-Benz withdrew entirely by transferring its remaining 10% stake to BYD.

Name

An invented name from the Chinese ''Tengshi'' (), Denza roughly translates to "rising power and

momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (: momenta or momentums; more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. ...

". Alternative translations include "win power" or "winning circumstances".

History

Early period (2010–2021)

On 1 March 2010, BYD Auto and Daimler AG signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of electric vehicles. The initial link-up led to the creation of a new, equal-ownership legal entity, Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. The company was formally established on 27 May 2010 and received a business license from the Chinese government in March 2011. The brand name Denza was introduced in March 2012. During its introduction, BYD chairman and founder

Wang Chuanfu Wang Chuanfu (; born 8 April 1966) is a Chinese chemist, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder, chairman and CEO of the BYD Company. Wang was born in Anhui to a poor farmer family. He then studied metallurgy and earned a bachelor's degree a ...

highlighted that BYD contributes its expertise in battery technology, electric drive systems, and practical experience in deploying electric vehicles on Chinese roads, while Daimler complements this with its experience in designing premium automobiles, know-how of electric vehicle architecture and safety, and a legacy of over 125 years in the industry. Denza showcased its first concept car in April 2012 at the

Auto China Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (), Beijing Motor Show () or Auto China is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. 2024 The 2024 Auto China show dates are scheduled for 25 April - 4 May 2024 at the New China Interna ...

motor show in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. It was expected that this product would be offered as an electric luxury car. By September 2014, BYD and Daimler had jointly invested more than €300 million into the joint venture. The brand's initial product was set to be launched in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, and Shenzhen in September 2014, the launch date was then pushed back to late 2014. Its first model, the Denza EV debuted in December 2014. When Denza launched its first car, sales of new energy vehicles depend on subsidies provided by the Chinese government. Purchasers of the car were qualified for a RMB 78,000 subsidy and while the total subsidy on offer depends on location of purchase, no more than RMB 120,000 can be deducted. As of 2014, buyers were exempted from Beijing's license plate lottery and qualified for free plates in Shanghai and Shenzhen. In 2018, the Denza EV underwent extensive body restyling, changing its name to Denza 500. In November 2019, Denza presented its second model based on the second-generation BYD Tang. The vehicle was designed with significant participation of

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

designers, which handled exterior and interior design. Sales of the Denza X started at the end of 2020 exclusively on the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

market.

Restructuring (2021–present)

In February 2021, the German business daily ''

Handelsblatt The ''Handelsblatt'' (literally "commerce paper" in English) is a German-language business newspaper published in Düsseldorf by Handelsblatt Media Group, formerly known as Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt. History and profile ''Handelsblatt'' was es ...

'' reported that the relations between Denza's co-owners were in crisis, as its sales did not meet the expectations of Daimler, which allegedly expressed a desire to end the venture. However, this information was denied. Changes in the joint venture structure was announced in December 2021. The unpopular Denza X SUV was discontinued, and the alliance changed its name to Shenzhen Denza New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd. In turn,

reduced its shares from 50% to 10% in favor of BYD's higher stake of 90%. Denza D9 001

The first model since the restructuring, the Denza D9 minivan was introduced in August 2022. The D9 is available in

plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power so ...

and battery electric variant. At the same time, the company announced the expansion of its dealer network in China with a plan to open 270 new points by the end of 2022 throughout the country. In March 2023, Denza introduced its second new model after restructuring, the

Denza N7 The Denza N7 () is a battery electric mid-size crossover SUV marketed by Denza, a brand owned by Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto. It was officially launched in the Chinese market in July 2023. History In August 2022, at the Chengdu Auto Show, Den ...

battery electric SUV. In the same month, the range was expanded with a larger SUV

Denza N8 The Denza N8 () and the preceding Denza X are plug-in hybrid and battery electric mid-size crossover SUVs. The original Denza X was first launched in Guangzhou Auto Show 2019 by Denza, originally a joint venture between Chinese automaker BYD ...

, which is based on the Denza X. Denza plans to release product lines starting with the D, E, N, Z, and A letters. In June 2024, Denza started sales of the right-hand drive D9 EV in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. It opened its first flagship store in

Kowloon Bay Kowloon Bay (Chinese: 九龍灣) is a bay within Victoria Harbour and a neighbourhood within Kowloon, Hong Kong. The bay is located at the east of the Kowloon Peninsula and north of Hong Kong Island. It is the eastern portion of Victor ...

, which is the first presence of the brand outside

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

. In September 2024, Mercedes-Benz transferred its remaining 10% shareholding in Denza to BYD, making Denza a fully owned subsidiary of BYD.

Products

Current models

* Denza D9 (2022–present), full-size MPV, BEV/PHEV *

(2023–present), mid-size SUV, BEV * Denza N8L (upcoming), full-size SUV, PHEV * Denza N9 (2025–present), full-size SUV, BEV/PHEV * Denza Z9 (2024–present), full-size car, BEV/PHEV * Denza Z9 GT (2024–present), full-size

fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is not a fastback design with a roofline that tapers downward toward the car's rear before being cut of ...

car, BEV/PHEV File:Denza D9 For Guangzhou International Auto Show 2022 (cropped).jpg, Denza D9 File:Denza N7 facelift 004 (cropped).jpg, Denza N7 File:Denza N9 005.jpg, Denza N9 File:Denza Z9 001.jpg, Denza Z9 File:Denza Z9 GT 001 (cropped).jpg, Denza Z9 GT

Export-only models

* Denza B5 (2025) — rebadged

Fangchengbao Bao 5 The Fangchengbao Bao 5 (), alternatively the Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 5 in English sources, is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mid-size SUV manufactured by BYD Auto under the Fangchengbao brand. The Bao 5 is the first vehicle of the Fangchengbao brand, whi ...

, mid-size SUV,

PHEV A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable electric-vehicle battery, battery pack that can be directly replenished via a power cord, charging cable plugg ...

* Denza B8 (2025) — rebadged

Fangchengbao Bao 8 The Fangchengbao Bao 8 (), alternatively the Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 8 in English sources, is a plug-in hybrid full-size SUV manufactured by BYD Auto under the Fangchengbao brand. It is the largest vehicle from the Fangchengbao brand, slotting abo ...

, large SUV, PHEV * Denza U8 (2025) — rebadged

Yangwang U8 The Yangwang U8 () is a full-size luxury SUV manufactured by BYD Auto under the Yangwang brand. The U8 is Yangwang's first vehicle, and was introduced on January 2024. It is an electric vehicle with a petrol engine acting as a range extender. ...

, large offroad-capable SUV, REEV

Discontinued models

* Denza EV/400/500 (2014–2019), compact SUV, BEV * Denza X (2019–2021), mid-size SUV, BEV/PHEV *

(2023–2024), mid-size SUV, PHEV File:2014 Denza EV (front).jpg, Denza EV File:Denza 500 02 China 2019-03-28.jpg, Denza 500 File:20210627 A Denza X in Zhengzhou.jpg, Denza X File:Denza N8 003.jpg, Denza N8

Concept vehicles

* Denza EV Concept (2012) * Denza Inception (2022) * Denza Z (2025) File:Denza NEV 2013.JPG, Denza EV Concept File:Denza Z 003.jpg, Denza Z

Sales

References

External links

* {{Automotive industry in the People's Republic of China Car manufacturers of China Electric vehicle manufacturers of China Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2010 Chinese companies established in 2010 Manufacturing companies based in Shenzhen Chinese brands Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers BYD Auto Mercedes-Benz Group joint ventures Chinese-foreign joint-venture companies 2010 in Shenzhen