In China's Zhengzhou, BYD’s Mega EV Factory Set To Surpass San Francisco In Size
Once fully completed, Zhengzhou’s BYD factory will cover 32,000 acres or 50 square miles making it larger than San Francisco.
China’s electric vehicle giant BYD is rapidly expanding its factory in Zhengzhou, with the site poised to surpass the size of a major US city. Aerial footage shared on Reddit showcases the sprawling complex, featuring production facilities, towering dormitories, a football field, tennis courts, and an interconnected road network. The video also captures ongoing construction, hinting at even more growth.
According to The Sun, BYD’s Zhengzhou plant is on track to outsize Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory, which spans 4.5 square miles. Once fully completed, the facility will stretch across an impressive 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — making it larger than San Francisco, which covers 46.9 square miles.
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The project is being constructed in eight phases, with the final four stages currently in progress, transforming the factory into one of the largest manufacturing sites in the world.
Can you imagine a factory larger than San Francisco? It’s happening in China with BYD’s Zhengzhou branch which will be 10 times larger than Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada. byu/5upralapsarian inSino
The drone footage caught the attention of social media users who shared their varied reactions.
One Reddit user pointed out, “Those 10-story buildings at the bottom of the video are dorms. It’s massive."
Another user on LinkedIn commented, “Asian factories are like small European towns. With their bus lines, dormitories, recreation areas, etc."
One person jokingly asked, “Where can I send my résumé?" while another said, “Low-key, would make a good video game map."
As of last month, the Zhengzhou facility had around 60,000 employees and BYD as a whole employs over 900,000 people, according to The Sun.
The company is now expanding its workforce. China Daily reports that the Zhengzhou branch is recruiting 20,000 new employees in the first quarter of the year.
To make things easier for job seekers, a recruitment site has been set up with a luggage storage area. Those who clear their interviews and medical checks can sign contracts, complete onboarding and move into company dorms without delay.
The Zhengzhou factory rolled out its first vehicle, a Song Pro DM-i, in April last year. The model was priced at over £17,600 (approximately Rs 19.7 lakh) and marked the beginning of full-scale production at the site.
Since then, BYD has significantly increased output. The company had initially set a target of selling 3.6 million new energy vehicles in 2024. Strong demand and expanded production capacity helped it exceed expectations. By the end of the year, BYD had sold 4.25 million vehicles.
Encouraged by this success, the company is now aiming even higher. For 2025, it has set an ambitious goal of selling 5.25 million cars.
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