When Oil Meets Lithium: Aramco and BYD’s Unlikely Pact to Shape the EV Future

By Team Dailyrevs April 23, 2025

Saudi Aramco and BYD are officially teaming up to work on electric and hydrogen vehicle tech.
It’s part of Saudi Arabia’s bigger goal to get serious about EVs and move beyond oil.
Aramco’s doing more than just this—they’re already involved in high-tech R&D with Aston Martin’s F1 team.

When Oil Funds the Future

So here’s a headline we didn’t expect to write: Aramco is partnering with BYD to work on new energy vehicles.

Yes, that Aramco—the oil giant. And that BYD—the same company that outsold Tesla last year and is currently dominating the global EV market.

It’s not just a handshake and a vague promise either. The deal is for real. They’ll work together on electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell tech. And honestly, it makes perfect sense once you zoom out a bit.

Saudi’s Next Chapter

Saudi Arabia knows it can’t coast on oil forever. Vision 2030—their high-level national plan—is a signal that they’re thinking ahead. A big part of that plan? Cleaner energy and smart mobility.

Right now, EV adoption in the country is barely 1%. The goal is to push that up to 30% by 2030. But talk only goes so far. This deal with BYD? That’s action.

It gives Saudi access to proven EV tech, supply chain know-how, and a partner that already builds everything from electric buses to semiconductors in-house.

BYD’s Win

For BYD, the upside is obvious. The company is already a juggernaut in Asia, but the Middle East is still relatively untapped. A strategic ally like Aramco means a smoother entry, better infrastructure support, and a foothold in a market that’s ready to grow fast.

It’s a smart expansion play. No marketing gimmicks, just straight access to money, policy support, and wide-open roads.

What’s On the Table

Detail	Info
Who’s involved	Saudi Aramco Technologies Company + BYD
What they’re working on	EVs, hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
Why it matters	Oil-rich nation betting big on a post-oil transport strategy
Regional significance	Helps Saudi reach its 30% EV adoption goal by 2030
Bigger picture	Global sign that old energy and new energy are merging, not clashing

Hydrogen Isn’t Off the Table

A lot of the EV talk revolves around batteries—and fair enough, BYD leads the world in that space. But Aramco has its eyes on hydrogen, and not just for cars. Think trucks, public transport, and even aviation down the line.

This isn’t just an EV deal. It’s about shaping the whole clean mobility map, from city cars to cargo routes.

Not Their First Automotive Rodeo

This isn’t Aramco’s only move in the mobility space either.

They’re already knee-deep in Formula 1 tech through their partnership with the Aston Martin F1 team. That relationship goes beyond branding. It’s about developing cleaner, high-efficiency fuels and rethinking combustion tech for motorsport.

So while BYD is the EV play, Aston is their high-performance R&D lab. Both sides of the mobility world, covered.

No Timeline Yet, But Signals Are Clear

We don’t have a detailed roadmap yet. No product rollout dates, no factory announcements. But Aramco doesn’t usually make public moves unless the backend is already in motion.

This is likely just the first domino. Expect more announcements—maybe local battery plants, regional charging networks, or new mobility investments under the Saudi NEOM initiative.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to raise an eyebrow at this pairing. An oil company teaming up with an electric carmaker? Sure, the irony’s there.

But if the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that the lines are blurring. Fossil fuel giants aren’t just sitting around watching the world change. Some of them—like Aramco—are throwing serious weight behind it.

And if you want to build the future of transportation, it turns out you might need both oil money and battery muscle.