Stella Li, the executive vice president of BYD, China’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, expressed the company’s willingness to collaborate with Tesla in the fight against internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Her remarks come as BYD and Tesla compete for dominance in the global EV market, with both automakers driving aggressive innovation to meet consumer demand.
BYD Executive’s Statement:
In an interview at a BYD showroom in London, Li emphasized the company’s openness to working alongside Tesla to accelerate the shift away from ICE vehicles. “Our common enemy is the internal combustion engine car. We need to work together… to make the industry change,” she stated.
Li also noted that China is increasingly open to sharing innovations with foreign companies, despite escalating trade tensions in Europe and the United States. “(The) Chinese government is more open, so maybe there is a lot of wrong perception here,” she added.
China’s EV Adoption:
Li highlighted China’s robust EV adoption as a benchmark for the global industry. She also expressed confidence in the sector, despite indications of a slowdown in EV growth worldwide.
“Why are people still choosing the EV? Because it’s a better car, a smarter car… and it’s higher quality,” she said.
Autonomous Driving Developments:
Both BYD and Tesla continue to make strides in advancing autonomous driving technology within China’s EV market. Last month, BYD introduced its “God’s Eye” self-driving system across most of its vehicle lineup in China at no extra cost.
Meanwhile, Tesla has rolled out its first vision-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) features in the Chinese market. Early feedback on Tesla’s FSD capabilities in China has been largely positive, with many users praising its ability to navigate public roads with minimal issues.
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