<p>RIO DE JANEIRO, March 13 (Reuters) - Chinese carmaker BYD’s  (002594.SZ)  Brazil factory has received export orders totaling 100,000 vehicles for Argentina and Mexico, executives said on Friday, as the company expands its Latin American operations.</p>
<ul>
<li>The orders comprise 50,000 vehicles each for Argentina and Mexico, BYD Americas Head Stella Li said at an event in Rio de Janeiro.</li>
<li>The Camaçari factory in the northeastern Bahia state has an annual output capacity of 150,000 vehicles, with plans to expand it in phases to 600,000 units.</li>
<li>The plant manufactures plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, including the Dolphin Mini, King, and Song Pro models.</li>
<li>BYD sold about 113,000 cars in Brazil last year, making it the company’s largest market outside China, according to car dealers association Fenabrave.</li>
</ul>
<h3>NEW INVESTMENT FOR RESEARCH CENTER</h3>
<ul>
<li>BYD also announced on Friday it will build a research center in Rio de Janeiro with an investment of 300 million reais ($56.40 million).</li>
<li>Construction is expected to begin this year and conclude in 2028, with infrastructure for testing speed, power, endurance and vehicle performance.</li>
<li>The facility will generate data in tropical conditions to develop and adapt technologies for the markets where BYD operates, Li said.</li>
</ul>
<p>($1 = 5.3195 reais)</p>

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- BYD's Brazil factory has secured export orders for 100,000 vehicles, split equally between Argentina and Mexico, as part of its Latin American expansion.  
- The Camaçari factory has an annual output capacity of 150,000 vehicles and plans to expand to 600,000 units, producing hybrid and electric models.  
- BYD is also investing 300 million reais to build a research center in Rio de Janeiro, aimed at developing vehicle technologies suited for tropical conditions, with construction expected to finish by 2028.

BYD's Brazil plant secures 100,000 export orders for Argentina, Mexico