On May 9, 2026, BYD and China Auto Rental (Shenzhou Zuche) officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the 'Flash Charge China Strategy' and a procurement framework for 100,000 vehicles in Shenzhen. Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD, and Yu Hongfei, Chairman of Shenzhou Zuche, led their core management teams to attend the signing ceremony. He Zhiqi, Executive Vice President and COO of BYD's Passenger Car Division, Wang Junbao, General Manager of BYD's Corporate Business Division, Gao Dewu, CEO of Shenzhou Zuche, and Sun Rupan, General Manager of the Manufacturer Cooperation Department of Shenzhou Zuche, witnessed the signing. The two parties reached a deep cooperation intent on the 'Flash Charge China Strategy' and signed a procurement framework agreement for 100,000 vehicles to jointly promote the upgrade of green mobility infrastructure and the high-quality, sustainable development of the car rental industry.
Flash Charging Boosts 100,000 Vehicles to 'Mileage Freedom'
As the largest direct-operation car rental platform and a leading travel service provider in China, Shenzhou Zuche launched its fleet new energy upgrade strategy in 2025. In a pilot phase, Shenzhou Zuche initially deployed 3,000 BYD Qin PLUS DM-i vehicles for short-term rental in April 2025. With excellent product performance, reliable market performance, and high-quality after-sales service, BYD vehicles gained high recognition in operational efficiency and user experience, prompting the two parties to formally reach a strategic cooperation in May of the same year. Building on this, Shenzhou Zuche accelerated its new energy deployment, cumulatively purchasing nearly 30,000 BYD vehicles in 2025, laying a solid foundation for deepening cooperation.
This signing further expands the dimensions of cooperation. According to the agreement, BYD and Shenzhou Zuche will deeply collaborate around the 'Flash Charge China Strategy,' deploying BYD flash charging piles at eligible Shenzhou Zuche stores nationwide, building a widespread and efficient charging service network to enhance the user travel experience. At the same time, the two parties signed a vehicle procurement framework agreement for 100,000 units, further solidifying BYD's core position in Shenzhou Zuche's new energy fleet and helping it continuously expand its green vehicle capacity.
The large-scale application of flash charging technology will also become key to upgrading the rental travel experience. Notably, with the extreme charging efficiency of '5 minutes to charge well, 9 minutes to full, and only 3 minutes more at -30°C,' it can effectively solve the long-standing range and charging anxiety of rental car users. Currently, BYD is fully promoting the implementation of the 'Flash Charge China' strategy, accelerating the deployment of a high-density flash charging network nationwide. It plans to build 20,000 flash charging stations by the end of this year, making flash charging truly ubiquitous across China. In the future, rental car users only need a short stop to quickly recharge, truly achieving mileage freedom with 'arrive and charge, travel freely.'
Photo of BYD and Shenzhou Zuche leaders at the signing ceremony
Strong Alliance Promotes New Trends in Car Rental
With social development, travel styles are also becoming more diverse, and more Chinese people are choosing to rent cars in various scenarios. Looking abroad, in mature markets like Europe and the US, as of 2025, global car rental companies held a total of 7.26 million vehicles, with the top 6 European and American rental companies accounting for over 65%. 'Renting instead of buying' has become the mainstream car usage model in developed regions abroad.
In China, as the younger generation's consumption concepts evolve, charging infrastructure continues to improve, and the population with driving licenses but no cars expands, the idea of long-term car ownership is gradually shifting toward renting cars to experience new models and technologies. The concept of 'light ownership, heavy experience' is accelerating in popularity. The deep cooperation between BYD and Shenzhou Zuche is a localized innovative practice of this trend in China. Through this strategic cooperation, more users will be able to experience the latest flash charging technology in a more convenient way, making travel more flexible. Additionally, BYD offers an ultra-long warranty for operation vehicles: 6 years or 600,000 km for batteries, motors, and electronic controls, greatly reducing rental companies' operating costs and risks.
Shenzhou Zuche has a broad user base and scenario advantages. The two parties will take the 'Flash Charge China Strategy' as an opportunity to jointly promote the deep integration of new energy infrastructure and travel services, providing users with a more efficient and convenient green travel experience. This cooperation is not only a deep integration of vehicle supply and scenario application but also an innovative exploration of integrated services involving vehicles, charging piles, stores, and stations, jointly promoting the green, intelligent, and intensive development of China's mobility industry.
