JLR lost the case against BYD in The Hague. It must hand over information about the Ti7 within 24 hours.
Jaguar Land Rover lost the first round of a dispute in The Hague over the BYD Ti7, a seven-seater plug-in hybrid that the Britons consider too similar to the Defender. The District Court in The Hague rejected JLR’s request to secure evidence on November 11. It also ordered that everything collected during the searches of BYD’s offices in August be destroyed or returned within 24 hours. A fine of 50,000 euros applies for each hour of delay.
We reported on a hearing related to this case the day before yesterday. At that time, it was not yet known that things would turn out so badly for the party that took the matter to court.
What the bailiffs took from BYD’s offices
The case began in August when JLR requested permission from a Dutch court for unscheduled searches. After obtaining it, bailiffs entered BYD’s offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, backed up data from IT systems, and copied paper documents. During the investigation, it was revealed what ended up in JLR’s hands: plans to bring the Ti7 to market, technical data, financial details, as well as information about the Land Rover Defender stored in BYD’s computers. JLR justified the action by claiming the Ti7’s body design resembled that of the Defender. It also suspected that BYD had reverse-engineered the British vehicle by disassembling it and analyzing it to replicate its features.
BYD argued that the scope of the materials collected far exceeded the specific allegations and resembled indiscriminate evidence gathering without clear boundaries.
Why the court sided with BYD
The panel chairman, Hugo van Heemstra, essentially accepted the Chinese company’s arguments. He found that the link between the documents gathered and the allegations was too weak, and JLR failed to demonstrate grounds for such extensive access to BYD’s internal materials and R&D documentation. The court also noted that the Ti7 is not yet sold in the European Union, so JLR could not show any concrete damage. The Brits’ earlier request to impose a €500,000 fine on BYD for alleged non-cooperation in gathering evidence was also rejected.
In the end, JLR must pay BYD €25,376.57 in litigation costs.
The Ti7 is over £20,000 cheaper than the Defender.
In the UK, the Ti7 (sold in China as Fangchengbao Ti7) is on pre-order since July. The seven-seater Excellence AWD version started at £47,995, with deliveries set to begin in January 2027. The seven-seater Defender 110 costs £68,465 in the UK, which is about £20,500 more expensive, while its plug-in version costs nearly £72,000. Thus, both vehicles are competing for some of the same customers. The Ti7 has not yet entered the EU, so prices in zlotys are not available yet.
A Dutch court focused solely on evidence in this case. The verdict does not determine whether the Ti7 violates the Defender’s design.
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