BYD's 3 millionth new energy vehicle rolled off the production line, November 16, 2022. Credit: BYD
When BYD launched its line of electric vehicles in the mid-2010s, its models were named for Chinese dynasties. The Qin, China’s first dynasty, is a popular entry level option. The Han, imperial China’s first golden age, is the company’s flagship EV. The Tang, China’s most prosperous dynasty, is an imposing SUV.
The cars have been a roaring success. BYD overtook Tesla in the first half of 2022 to become the world’s most popular new-energy vehicle producer. Thanks to its early bet on electric cars, the company is at the forefront of the automotive world’s clean energy transition. Now, as BYD looks to break into international markets, it may be building a dynasty of its own.
Data: Annual reports
This week, The Wire looks at BYD, the formidable conglomerate and China’s most successful electric vehicle maker: its origins, how it sidestepped supply chain woes to dominate China’s EV market, and its hopes of becoming China’s first internationally successf
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
When Ken Wilcox, a former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, moved to Shanghai in 2011, he was optimistic and eager to start up the bank's new joint venture in China. A decade later, however, he is extremely cynical about U.S. business interests in China. While analysts will, rightly, be debating SVB's missteps in the U.S. for the foreseeable future, Wilcox insists the bank's challenges in China should not be overlooked.
The former secretary of state talks about how the Trump administration changed U.S.-China relations; why he accused Beijing of genocide in Xinjiang; and why U.S. politicians should visit Taiwan.
