Stella Li, a sales leader at BYD, emphasizes the company’s role in global tech and its rapid expansion into the Swiss market, introducing new car models regularly. BYD competes with automotive giants like Tesla and Toyota while focusing on electric buses in North America. The company boasts strong revenue growth, innovative battery technology, and a vertically integrated supply chain, all while maintaining partnerships with major entities like Apple and Berkshire Hathaway.
Stella Li: The Visionary Behind BYD’s Success
Stella Li is a natural-born sales expert, leading the charge at BYD, a prominent Chinese automobile manufacturer. Now residing in California for fifteen years, she confidently asserts in interviews that “the moment you open a BYD door, the car practically sells itself.” Li highlights the company’s integral role in global tech, noting that many everyday devices, such as iPhones and iPads, feature components manufactured by BYD in Shenzhen, claiming that 80 percent of the new iPad is comprised of BYD parts.
BYD’s Ambitious Expansion Plans in Europe
Recently, Li took center stage at the Environmental Arena in Spreitenbach to unveil BYD’s entry into the Swiss market, showcasing three initial models with plans for four more to follow swiftly. Promising a new model every two months, she attributes this rapid innovation to a dedicated team of 120,000 engineers and an impressive 45 new patent applications filed each working day.
BYD is not merely another Chinese car manufacturer; it represents a formidable competitor to giants like Tesla, Toyota, and VW, having already surpassed them in certain market segments that combine electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The company is making strides in its global outreach, with a presence in 29 European countries and aspirations to expand into 12 new markets this year, including Switzerland.
In Switzerland, Li aims to establish a network of 15 sales outlets by year-end, with plans to double that in the following year, starting with a newly opened showroom on Uraniastrasse in Zurich. She envisions BYD as a “Tier-1 brand” admired for its excellence and promises unparalleled customer service in the automotive sector.
While the company’s ambitions are vast, they remain unfazed by potential challenges, including trade wars. Li indicates that BYD has no intentions of selling passenger vehicles in North America, focusing instead on manufacturing electric buses there. Production for Swiss-bound cars will initially occur in China, but by the fourth quarter, BYD anticipates rolling out vehicles from its new factory in Hungary, with additional production set to begin in Turkey next year.
Despite a stagnant electric vehicle market, BYD’s revenue continues to soar, achieving approximately $108 billion last year and maintaining a steady growth trajectory. Although the EU is examining whether BYD received unfair state subsidies from Beijing, Li confidently dismisses these claims, asserting that subsidies in European countries would surpass those in China.
BYD’s competitive edge stems from its dual leadership in both technology and cost. Although the company officially entered the automotive industry in 2003, its roots in battery development date back to 1995, making it a pioneer in this essential component of electric vehicles. The innovative Blade battery developed by BYD offers superior energy density and space efficiency, all without the use of cobalt.
Moreover, BYD’s vertical integration allows it to produce most vehicle components, including electric motors, electronic controls, and semiconductors, enabling the company to maintain control over its supply chain from raw materials to final assembly. This integration leads to significant cost savings and production flexibility, aided by favorable state loans that support its rapid growth.
Furthermore, BYD has garnered significant trust from the West, illustrated by its partnership with tech giant Apple and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which has been investing in BYD since 2008. This trust persists despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. The company’s stock reached an all-time high in March, contrasting sharply with Tesla’s recent stock declines, especially after BYD announced the introduction of new fast chargers capable of fully charging an electric vehicle in just five minutes.