BYD hires Fiat Chrysler's former Europe boss as special adviser

BYD has hired Alfredo Altavilla, a former head of Europe at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, as a special adviser for the European market, as the Chinese automaker seeks to expand its presence in Europe.

BYD is a rival to Tesla as the world’s largest maker of full-electric cars. It is making a major push into Europe, with a growing lineup of EVs and plans to build factories in Hungary and Turkey.

New EU tariffs on Chinese-built EVs have complicated BYD’s plans, however, as has the slowdown in electric-car sales. The European factories would allow the automaker to avoid the levies, which would add 17 percent to an existing 10 percent tariff.

BYD is also adding a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the Seal U SUV, which would not be subject to the EV tariff.

BYD’s European sales have grown quickly in the past two years; in July, the brand ranked 30th in Europe, up 18 spots from July 2023. This year, sales are up by 331 percent, to 21,261 from 4,929 in 2023. It is the second-largest Chinese brand in Europe, but far behind the leader, MG, which sold more than 148,000 cars through July.

BYD has ambitious plans for Europe. Earlier this year, Europe CEO Michael Shu said in an interview with Automotive News Europe that it was seeking a 5 percent share of the EV market in Europe ahead of the launch of the factory in Hungary. That would translate to about 70,000 annual EV sales.

Altavilla will be a key part of that push, Stella Li, BYD executive vice president, said in a release on Aug. 30.

"The addition of Alfredo Altavilla to the European team is a key step in our strategy to strengthen and consolidate BYD's presence in this important market," she said.

Altavilla starts in his new role Sept. 2.

Altavilla, a native of Taranto, Italy, held various management positions at Fiat. These included CEO of truck maker Iveco, responsibility for Fiat's cooperation with General Motors, and CEO of the Tofas Turkish joint venture. In 2012, he became chief operating officer for the Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA) region, and was a top aide to Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. 

Following Marchionne’s death in 2018, Altavilla left the automaker after Jeep and Ram CEO Mike Manley was named as head of FCA. Manley played a key role in Fiat's Chrysler's merger with PSA Group to create Stellantis. 

After leaving Fiat Chrysler, Altavilla held a variety of board and advisory positions, including as a director at Telecom Italia. In 2021 he was appointed by the government as executive chairman of ITA Airways,  the successor to financially troubled Alitalia.

His current positions include senior adviser at CVC Capital Partners in Europe, and seats on the boards of directors at Enerpac Tool Group, MSX, Ambienta SGR and Proma Group. In addition, he is part of the investment committee of Vasuky, a Tech VC fund sponsored by Rothschild & Co.