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BYD China Version

Adel_Kha | 2026-03-12 13:10 | 8 views

I ordered a **BYD Song Plus DM‑i Smart Driving Flagship Edition (160 km)** from UAE (Jebel Ali) last week. Unfortunately, shipping currently seems to be temporarily halted due to the situation in the Middle East. I wanted to ask if anyone here already owns or has experience with these **Chinese-spec versions** of the car. From what I understand, this is the **top specification model**, which includes features like **valet auto-parking, autonomous driving assistance, 360° cameras, and blind-spot cameras**. However, I’ve heard that it can be difficult to activate the **BYD Master Account** outside China. I’m wondering if it would work if I purchased a **Chinese phone number/SIM card** and tried to register the VIN under my name. Has anyone tried this successfully? I also heard that replacing the SIM card inside the car could cause two issues: 1. **The BYD app may stop working**, because the app (and its servers, databases, and authentication systems) identifies the vehicle using the **ICCID of the SIM card**. 2. **The car may stop receiving OTA updates**, since the update system verifies the car using both the **ICCID (SIM)** and the **IMEI of the head unit**, which must match the records in BYD’s database before updates are pushed to the vehicle. If anyone has experience with **Chinese-spec BYD models outside China**, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Comments (3)
Kuumikoo 2026-03-12 13:57

No it won't work. You bought the car not from BYD and they have no way to verify you as the actual owner. It is the last registered owner/dealership of your car need to register you in BYD as the new owner to register the master account. However in parallel import there are too many middlemen involved, you can't find the real person who own the car before you and helpful to help.

ofive1 2026-03-12 16:52

What if the dealer agrees and changes the number for you? How does it work then?

Kuumikoo 2026-03-12 18:50

You need to make sure the dealer are trustworthy. Many people lied that they can do xyz for you before you sign the contract but it never come true.

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