BYD, the world's leading manufacturer of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (New Energy Vehicles, NEV), has entered into a new agreement to become an official partner of Jokerit Helsinki, one of the most well-known teams in Finnish ice hockey.
The announcement marks BYD's first official sponsorship in elite hockey, a sport with strong roots in large parts of Northern Europe, and demonstrates the company's long-term ambition to strengthen its presence in the Finnish market.
Jokerit Helsinki has its home arena in Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki and has a successful history behind it. The club was founded in 1967 and has won Finland's highest ice hockey series six times and won three European championship titles. The partnership with BYD runs between 2026 and 2028 and begins at the same time as the club prepares its return to the top league, SM-liiga, when the new season starts in September. 
The collaboration includes exposure of BYD's brand in Veikkaus Arena, including on the arena's jumbotron, around the ice rink, on match jerseys and through a BYD vehicle positioned inside the arena. The partnership also includes activities for supporters, vehicle exhibitions and the Player of the Month award, presented by BYD.
BYD shares Jokerit Helsinki ambition for development and high quality and sees the partnership as an opportunity to get closer to the team's large supporter base and the broader ice hockey audience, while the company wants to increase knowledge about the benefits of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for a more sustainable future.
Stella Li, Executive Vice President at BYD, says:
“We are very excited to become the official partner of Jokerit Helsinki. Finland is an important market for us and as we strengthen our presence and further establish ourselves in the country, we want to build long-term relationships with Finnish consumers and local communities.
Sports inspire strong commitment and pride, and we know that ice hockey has enormous support in Finland. Therefore, it feels natural to collaborate with such a long-standing name in the sport. We look forward to being a part of Jokerit Helsinki continued journey and help create memorable experiences for the club's supporters.”
Mikko Saarni, Chairman of the Board of Jokerit Helsinki, says:
“We want to develop Finnish ice hockey through new and diverse ways of working and be a reliable, responsible and inspiring partner for our stakeholders. It is very significant for us that a global market leader of this size joins our network and becomes part of our journey. We are united by a strong ambition to develop, drive our business forward with courage and create continued growth.”
BYD began its operations as a battery manufacturer over 30 years ago. The company launched its first electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid, in 2008 and has since established itself as a world leader in the segment. The company has achieved record sales of both all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids and is represented in more than 110 markets worldwide. As recently as April 2026, BYD produced its 16 millionth electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.
In 2025, sold BYD a total of 4.6 million vehicles globally, of which over one million were delivered to customers outside of China. The company's global headquarters are in Shenzhen and BYD employs around 120,000 engineers in research and development. On average, the company files 52 new patent applications every working day.
About BYD Auto
BYD Founded in 2003, BYD Auto is the automotive division of BYD, a global high-tech company that works with technological innovations to create a better life. With the goal of accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation, BYD Auto develops both fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
The company has developed its own technologies across the entire electric vehicle value chain, including batteries, electric motors, electronic control systems and automotive semiconductors. In recent years, BYD has introduced several technological innovations, including the Blade Battery, DM-i and DM-p hybrid technologies, e-Platform 3.0, CTB and iTAC technologies, DiSus Intelligent Body Control System and XUANJI Architecture.
BYD was the world's first automaker to completely cease production of fossil-fueled passenger cars and has been the market leader in China in sales of electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars for eleven consecutive years.
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