BYD was originally founded as a firm making batteries in 1995, before branching out into automotive manufacture in 2003 through acquiring Shaanxi Qinchuan. The initials stand for Build Your Dreams, though its initial models were hardly the stuff that dreams were made of. While BYD claimed its designs are original, there was a strong resemblance to Toyota models, especially in the shape of the doors; while its S8 convertible model took its styling cues from Mercedes-Benz. Unsurprisingly, there was criticism from the west about the apparent piracy, especially by BYD’s F0 model—even the first publicity picture was Photoshopped from a Toyota Aygo (B10) one.

BYD, however, became known for producing the world’s first plug-in hybrid car years before GM could get a single Chevrolet Volt on to the streets, and sold a 10 per cent stake to US investment firm Berkshire Hathaway in 2008. In 2010, Daimler AG and BYD signed a partnership agreement to develop electric cars in China.

• BYD Flyer
• BYD F0
• BYD e1
• BYD Seagull
• BYD Dolphin
• BYD Yuan
• BYD F3
• BYD G3
• BYD L3
• BYD D1
• BYD e2
• BYD e3
• BYD G5
• BYD Qin
• BYD Seal
• BYD e6
• BYD Sealion 07 EV
• BYD F6
• BYD G6
• BYD Surui
• BYD Quzhujian
• BYD S6
• BYD S7
• BYD S8
• BYD Song
• BYD Tang
• BYD M6
• BYD Huweijian
• BYD Han

Off-site link

• Yan: ‘BYD farewell to ethics’