The rise of China’s Tesla killer

• Chinese automaker BYD briefly eclipsed Tesla as the world’s top seller of electric vehicles.
• Even without access to the American market, BYD’s affordable EVs are popular in China.
• Here’s how a little-known Chinese brand proved it could go toe-to-toe with an industry giant.

BYD may not be a household name in America, but it recently made itself known in a big way.

For a brief moment earlier this year, the Chinese automaker unseated Tesla as the world’s top seller of electric cars.

Even though you won’t see a BYD car in America (yet), the company has built an affordable brand that’s popular in China and elsewhere.

Here’s the story of the company that proved it could outsell Elon Musk.