New drone footage of Chinese automaker BYD's electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub in Zhengzhou, Henan province, has drawn global attention for its jaw-dropping scale. Still under development, the sprawling complex is reportedly set to cover 50 square miles (32,000 acres) once fully completed—making it even larger than the entire city of San Francisco, which spans roughly 46.87 square miles.

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The project is being rolled out in eight phases and, when finished, will likely become the largest EV manufacturing site in the world by land area. For perspective, BYD's planned site is over 10 times the size of Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada, which covers just 4.5 square miles.

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🇨🇳‼️BYD Builds in China Giant Factory-City Spanning 130 Square Kilometers - Larger Than Barcelona, Paris and San Francisco‼️

The complex will house 100,000 employees and their families, featuring residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, shopping centers and stadiums. The… pic.twitter.com/F84zPwT7rn
— Djole 🇷🇸 (@onlydjole) April 2, 2025

While the sheer land size comparison has captured headlines, it should be noted that San Francisco includes varied terrain—such as hills, parks, and coastline—while BYD's factory footprint focuses primarily on built-up industrial and residential areas. That said, the scale of the Zhengzhou facility is still nothing short of staggering.

Viral drone footage reveals a highly organized layout that resembles a self-sustaining city. It showcases high-rise buildings, expansive production zones, dormitories for employees, and even sports amenities like a football field and tennis courts. The footage also captures vast areas of undeveloped land, indicating ongoing construction and future expansion.

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"This is more than just a factory—it's a city in itself," a LinkedIn user said. Another observer on Reddit pointed out the impressive size of the dormitory buildings, describing them as "10-story residential blocks" for workers.

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According to China Daily, the factory employed around 60,000 workers as of early February and is undergoing an aggressive hiring drive. BYD aims to add 20,000 more employees in the first quarter of 2025 alone. To streamline the recruitment process, the automaker has set up a specialized hiring center near the site. This center includes luggage storage for job-seekers, and allows those who pass interviews and health checks to immediately sign contracts, move into dorms, and begin work.

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