HOW BIG IS BYD?

Building Dreams

- Words By: Sandesh Bhosle

Once a little-known Chinese battery company, today BYD Auto stands tall as one of the world's most powerful EV manufacturers, challenging legacy giants and leaving tech start-ups in the dust. But behind the shiny metal and electric silence lies a fascinating story of grit, vision, and one man's relentless pursuit to “Build Your Dreams.”

From a modest factory floor in Shenzhen to becoming Tesla's fiercest rival, BYD's journey is not just about electric vehicles, it’s about revolution. It’s about how a company with no legacy in car making disrupted an industry obsessed with horsepower and chrome and gave it a new, sustainable heartbeat.

The Origins of BYD

The seeds of BYD (short for "Build Your Dreams”) were sown in 1995, not in a garage like many tech stories, but in a rented space in Shenzhen, China. Its founder, Wang Chuanfu, had no automotive background. Orphaned at a young age and raised by his elder siblings, Wang rose through academic ranks, securing a degree in metallurgical engineering and a master’s in battery chemistry.

He founded BYD with just 20 employees and an audacious goal to manufacture rechargeable batteries cheaper and more efficiently than Japanese competitors. Within a decade, BYD had become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of rechargeable batteries, supplying to Nokia, Motorola, and other mobile phone giants. But Wang wasn't interested in just powering phones. He wanted to power cars and perhaps, the future.

BYD Enters the Auto Arena