Motorsport Magazine
Car market ·
BYD's focus on Maserati reveals unprecedented scenarios for the European car industry. Find out more about the new manoeuvres.
Ultimogiro Newsroom · 15 May 2026 · 4 min read
The earthquake started in London, but the shockwaves are sweeping across the whole European automotive industry. BYD, the Chinese giant that in recent years has rewritten the global balance in electric vehicles, has turned the spotlight on Maserati and the Stellantis plant in Cassino, opening up scenarios that until a few months ago seemed like industrial science fiction.
The words spoken by the Chinese group’s top management during the Future of the Car Summit carried the weight of a strategic statement. No official confirmation of advanced talks, but a very clear message: BYD wants to grow in Europe and is looking for production facilities that are already operational to speed up its expansion.
In this context, Italy suddenly becomes central.
Cassino is not just a factory. It is one of the symbols of Italian premium production, a plant built to make high-performance models and now at the centre of major international manoeuvres.
At present, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio and Maserati Grecale leave the plant, but volumes are far from their best years. The slowdown in the European market, together with the complex transition to electric vehicles, has significantly reduced the plant’s production utilisation.
And this is precisely where BYD comes in.
For the Chinese manufacturer, taking over a facility that is already up and running would mean gaining precious time in the European race. No waiting for new plants, no bureaucratic delays: Cassino would immediately guarantee production capacity, technical expertise and a well-established industrial supply chain.
Behind this strategy is also the issue of European tariffs on electric cars produced in China. Building directly in Europe would allow BYD to bypass much of the new trade barriers imposed by Brussels.
A move that could completely change the balance of the sector.
If the name Cassino has sparked industrial debate, that of Maserati has inevitably heated up the market.
In international financial and automotive circles, the Trident brand is considered one of the most delicate assets in the Stellantis universe. On the one hand there is a historic brand, with global appeal and a sporting identity recognised everywhere. On the other there are commercial results that in recent years have not met the group's expectations.
The switch to electric power represents an additional issue. Maserati has launched the Folgore plan to gradually convert the line-up, but development costs are enormous and the premium electric market is growing less quickly than expected.
And this is where BYD could step in.
The Chinese giant today has one of the most advanced technologies in the world in batteries and EV platforms. Integrating this expertise with Italian design and the prestige of Maserati would create a potentially explosive combination on the global market.
It is therefore no surprise that Stella Li, head of BYD's international operations, described Maserati as “a very interesting brand”, a phrase that immediately fuelled fresh speculation about the future of the Modena-based brand.
The rumours come at an extremely delicate stage for Stellantis. The group is facing a deep industrial overhaul, amid cost cuts, production reorganisation and the need to relaunch several historic brands.
In recent months, dialogue with Chinese manufacturers has become increasingly concrete. The agreement with Leapmotor represents only the first piece of a broader strategy aimed at creating new industrial and technological synergies.
In this scenario, an opening towards BYD no longer seems impossible.
The European market is changing rapidly. Chinese brands are no longer aggressive outsiders ready only to compete on price. Today they have advanced technologies, huge financial resources and an industrial speed that many Western manufacturers struggle to match.
The European car industry is therefore faced with a crucial choice: defend its industrial identity or open the doors ever wider to the big Asian groups in order to maintain competitiveness and employment.
Chinese interest in Maserati and Cassino perfectly captures the new global balance of the automotive industry. For decades European manufacturers exported technology and know-how all over the world. Today, instead, it is the Chinese giants that are seeking space in the production heart of the continent.
The feeling is that the sector is entering a completely new phase, where industrial alliances, joint ventures and acquisitions will become increasingly frequent.
For Italy, the stakes are extremely high. On one side there is the need to protect historic brands and employment. On the other, there is the need to attract investment in a phase of sharp production slowdown.
Cassino and Maserati therefore represent much more than a simple market rumour. They are the symbol of an industrial revolution that has already begun.
And this time, the engine of change speaks Chinese.
Next story
Car market ·
Polestar will no longer sell new cars in the United States from 2027. Here is why, what the American regulations provide and what effects this will have on the global electric car market.
Car market ·
Car market ·
Car market ·
Car market ·
Car market ·
Car market ·