What does the car of the future look like? It’s probably electric and made by BYD, the world’s largest EV manufacturer. But that hardly narrows the possibilities.
Over the past seven quarters, the Shenzhen-based automaker has invested more than $13 billion in R&D in its quest to build affordable, futuristic, and even regionally targeted EVs—most of which now come with self-driving capabilities.
In China, where more than 1 million of its $10,000 Seagull EVs ply the roads, BYD debuted both the Qin L EV, an affordable take on the Tesla Model 3, and a hair-flattening supercar called the YangWang U9 Xtreme that scans the road and can jump over potholes. The company also recently debuted a new EV battery that competes with gas engines: It can charge in just five minutes and has a 621-mile range.
Elsewhere, BYD has adapted EVs to fit into local driving cultures. For Japan, it created an EV version of the country’s ultracompact “kei cars”—the first made by a non-Japanese manufacturer. For Europe, it’s rolled out a series of enticing sedans and will debut a premium sub-brand called Denza later this year. BYD’s exports surpassed 1 million units in 2025.
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In North America, meanwhile, analysts are buzzing about the possibility of BYD introducing a sub-$20,000 car that would finally make EV ownership attainable. Though U.S. tariffs are currently prohibitive, BYD is “absolutely the company to watch,” says Laurie Harbour, CEO of the automotive consultancy Harbour Results. “It’s not a question of if but when they become a penetrable force in the North American market.”
BY Mark Wilson
This article originally appeared in Inc.’s sister publication, Fast Company.
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