A senior executive at BYD, China’s largest electric vehicle maker, said the company is open to collaborating with Tesla to accelerate the transition away from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Stella Li, executive vice president at BYD, told the Financial Times that the two automakers share a common goal of advancing electric mobility. “Our common enemy is the internal combustion engine car. We need to work together… to make the industry change,” she said during an interview at a BYD showroom in London.
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Li also suggested that China remains open to collaboration with foreign companies, despite growing trade tensions with Europe and the United States. “(The) Chinese government is more open, so maybe there is a lot of wrong perception here,” she noted.
China has emerged as a leader in EV adoption, driven by strong government incentives and technological advancements. Li expressed confidence in the sector’s growth despite signs of a slowdown in some global markets. “Why are people still choosing the EV? Because it’s a better car, a smarter car… and it’s higher quality,” she said.
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Both BYD and Tesla are pushing forward with autonomous driving technology in China. BYD recently announced the rollout of its “God’s Eye” self-driving system across most of its domestic models at no extra cost, while Tesla has begun introducing vision-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) features in the Chinese market. Early user feedback on Tesla’s FSD system in China has been largely positive.
The remarks from BYD’s executive come as the competition between Chinese and Western automakers intensifies, with companies seeking to expand their market share while navigating evolving regulatory environments.
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